Triangle
by Badger the Gnome
Summary: Two new students come to the mansion, changing life for everyone there. Femslash: Tabitha x Amara, OC x OC, also including slash and het. Rated for language and adult situations. COMPLETE as of 2/18/2006!
1. They Meet

Triangle  
  
By Lady Comet  
  
An X-men Evolution exploration (...or fanfic)  
  
Disclaimer: I own only my own brainchildren. Everything else I'm just borrowing and bending to my will   
  
Pretense: This is a rebirth of my old story, Queer, under a new name and less suckyness. Characters will be better developed, there will actually be a plot, and I'll not make up my own personalities for already existing characters. So really, goodness for all.  
  
Warnings: Femslash galore, as well as some minor slash, het, adult situations, and bad language. Viewer discretion advised. Also, please do not use my characters without my permission. Thank you.

* * *

Triangle  
  
Part 1 – They Meet  
  
The fog rolled in as if unnaturally, blanketing the landscape as the train cut through the darkness of the night. But for the light of the moon, you wouldn't have been able to see it, its sleek black finish made it seem like a part of the dark that covered everything. It was past midnight, a highly unlikely time for anyone to be traveling to Bayville. But someone was.  
  
The charcoal snake rolled silently into the station, stopping with a hiss and an outlet of steam. Other than that it was silent, no one was actually there to make noise. After a moment the door to one compartment slid open, and two figures stepped out, hauling their luggage behind them. The first was a young man, of average height and built like a swimmer, clad in black and blue fishnet. His pale blonde hair hung in his face, though most would not consider it that long, the black-dyed tips of it obstructing parts of his silver eyes. He had a backpack on, also black in hue, and a suitcase in either hand. Behind him came the girl, a small wispy thing of about the same age as he, as looks could tell. She was shorter, and thin, with gently curving hips covered in layers of floating skirts. A thick cloak hid her top and the hood covered most of her head, though wisps of blonde hair poked out of it, the same blonde as her companion's. The ends of her hair were dyed pink, however. Her eyes matched his as well, though they were set in smaller features. She clung to her baggage, which looked like it had been taken from the 20's, and was so stuffed full one had to wonder if she had had the strength to close it. One bag was in her hand, the other was slung over one shoulder.  
  
The boy stepped onto the pavement, put down the bag he held, and turned to help his twin off the train. "Sure you got that, sis?"  
  
Wrinkling her nose in annoyance, she nodded, and joined him. No sooner than she had stepped off the train, it rolled away again, vanishing into the night.  
  
They stared after it for a moment, and then looked at each other nervously. With their transportation gone, their situation seemed even more real. And were it not for each other, they would have felt very alone indeed.  
  
Suddenly there was the soft click of heels coming towards them, and they looked over to see a woman approaching. She was tall, in the higher end of five feet, and dark skinned. Her pure white hair contrasted both her skin and her clothing, which was somewhat elegant, but also somewhat African in nature. She smiled beautifully as she reached them.  
  
"You must be Day and Rosaline," she said, her voice deep and silky.  
  
"Yeah," the boy replied. "I'm Day Jackson, and this is my sister, Rosaline." He glanced beside him, noting how nervous his companion was. Feeling it. All she could manage to do was smile shakily in response.  
  
The woman nodded, smiling back at the girl, and reached to shake both their hands. "I'm Ororo Monroe, from the Institute. The car is waiting for us outside."  
  
"Great." Day turned to his sister then, nudging her forward. "Let's go."  
  
Rosaline shot a nervous glare back at him, but kept walking, letting the much taller woman take the lead.  
  
Ororo reached to take the large bag from her; afraid she'd drop it, or tip over from the weight. She looked very much like she could. "Let me help you with that. You must be tired."  
  
"T-thank you," the girl stuttered. Behind her, her brother smiled.  
  
Smiling again, the woman known to some as Storm lead her new charges out of the station, helping them to put away their luggage and get into the car. As she slid into her seat, she turned to look at them again.  
  
"You're going to love the Institute. You'll be welcome there."

* * *

Beep beep beep.  
  
Tabitha groaned and rolled over. Ignore it.  
  
Beep beep beep beep.  
  
She covered her head with her pillow, burying herself in her covers. If she ignored it, it would go away.  
  
Beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep.  
  
With a grumbled shout of a word that none of the teachers would have approved of, if they could decipher it, she sat up and grabbed the wretched alarm clock, hitting any button she could find until the noise finally stopped. Under normal circumstances she would have blown the piece of shit to, well, pieces, but she highly doubted that the Professor would give her money for another one. Especially since it would be her fifth time having to ask for a new one.  
  
And she'd only been back three days.  
  
After the battle with Apocalypse, she had been offered another chance to come back to the Institute, and this time she had taken it. Even if she wasn't ready for the lifestyle Mutant Manor bred, it sure as hell beat living in a broken building on the edge of town, robbing parking meters for change. Besides, she was rooming with Amara again. That seemed to make anything better.  
  
Done with the clock, she lay back down, closing her eyes but unable to fall back asleep. Minutes passed, and she heard the door open, accompanied by her roommate's soft footsteps and mumbled song lyrics. Tabitha cracked open one eye to watch her. She was clad only in a red towel, her wet hair hanging around her browned shoulders. She turned on her radio, the volume down low as not to wake her supposedly sleeping roommate, and turned to the clothes on her bed. As the blonde carefully watched, Amara started dressing, artfully slipping on her underwear with her towel still on, then shedding it to put on her pants and shirt. All the while she kept her back to her friend's side of the room, a fact that Tabitha silently cursed, though she would never admit it. They were just friends, after all. Best friends. Nothing more. ...Really.  
  
When she was finally finished, the Nova Roman princess turned again, and Tabby barely avoided being caught as she rolled over in her pretend-sleep. Smiling disbelievedly, Amara shook her head and crossed the room, shaking her roommate by the shoulder.  
  
"Tabitha, come on, wake up. We have to be at breakfast in fifteen minutes."  
  
She groaned in response, doing her best to act as if she had woken her. "But its Saturday."  
  
"Yes, and the Professor told us last night that he wanted us to all have breakfast together." She went back to her side of the room then, standing in front of her dresser to put her hair in a braid.  
  
She should do that more often, Tabitha thought as she finally sat up, stretching. It's cute.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, Tabitha was dressed and ready, and the girls headed down to the dining hall together. They could hear the others making their usual morning noise, but didn't run into anyone until they got to the first floor. Sam was right ahead of them, apparently, and he turned around to wait for them as they approached.  
  
"Hey," he yawned, barely covering his open mouth with his hand.  
  
"You too, huh," Tabby smirked. "Its way too fuckin' early."  
  
"Why do you think the Professor wanted us to all have breakfast together?" Amara asked as they proceeded on.  
  
"Dunno," answered Sam, glancing sideways at her. "Hey, um, you look nice."  
  
She smiled back. "Thanks."  
  
Tabitha glared at him, but he didn't notice.  
  
Before they could say anything else they had reached the dining hall. The noise doubled as they opened the door and stepped inside. Most everyone was already there, the older students sitting towards the front of the table with Hank and Ororo, and the other new recruits towards the end. Logan was leaning against the back wall, smoking a cigarette. They took their seats among their friends, noticing that not only was the Professor missing, but so was the food. Something Rahne seemed especially sorry for.  
  
"Where are Bobby and Jubes?" Tabby wondered.  
  
No sooner had she said that, the two in question came barreling through the doors, looking rather flushed. Scott shot them a look of disapproval for being late. Roberto grinned.  
  
And no sooner had they sat down, the Professor rolled into the room, followed by the obvious reason everyone had been summoned to breakfast. All eyes rested on the young man and woman who followed him, even after they had all stopped at the head of the table. They were obviously twins, even though the boy was almost a head taller than the girl, and they couldn't have been dressed more differently. Today the boy wore silver vinyl and dark jeans, his eyes and lips done in black make-up. His sister wore a pink tank top and layers of flowy purple skirts, looking just as nervous as she had been on the train.  
  
"Good morning, everyone," said Xavier cheerfully. "I'd like you to welcome Rosaline and Day Jackson. They're from Salem, Massachusetts. I am sure you'll all help them feel at home here."  
  
"Is this why you got us up so early?" Bobby shouted from the end of the table, as if their collective mentor wouldn't hear him.  
  
"Iceman," Hank warned.  
  
"Yes, it is," the Professor answered.  
  
Bobby smiled. "Okay, just checking."  
  
The Professor then turned to the new students on either side of him. "Do either of you want to say anything?"  
  
"Uh, sure," Day spoke up, waving at everyone needlessly. "I'm Day, um, I like Goth clothes and techno music and industrial, and stuff, and I'm glad to meet you guys. There." He grinned.  
  
A few smiles returned his, but none as bright as Rogue's. Finally, someone who shared her interests.  
  
Both men looked at Rosaline then, and she blushed. "Um, hello," she almost squeaked. "I'm Rosie."  
  
Jamie snorted, earning him a glare from almost everyone. This made the girl blush harder, and she closed her mouth, unwilling to speak anymore.  
  
Chairs were then put at the table for the new students, dragged over by Logan, who still chose to stand. Rogue moved over to make space for Day, and not wanting to separate them, Kitty claimed Rosaline. Tabitha craned to hear their conversation, a bit annoyed that the girl didn't come sit with them. She looked interesting.  
  
The boys had other ideas, however, which they voiced as their breakfast finally made its way to the table (mostly through Jean's powers, oddly enough).  
  
"What's up with that girl's skirts?" Roberto said, grabbing a croissant and smothering it with butter.  
  
"Rosie," Bobby corrected, helping himself to some eggs. "And I dunno. She looks like some kind of hippie freak to me."  
  
"No more of a freak than the boy," Jubilee laughed. "Is he wearing make up? What kind of boy wears make up?"  
  
Roberto opened his mouth to answer, but a warning look from Rahne shut him right up. She knew exactly what he was going to say.  
  
"Well, Rogue doesn't seem to mind the make-up. And more guys are wearing it lately," Ray added. "That and nail polish."  
  
"Hmph," was all the Asian girl had to answer. She loaded her own plate with pancakes, focusing on them, but still mumbling something that sound suspiciously like 'I still think he's a freak.'  
  
"I actually think the girl's kinda cute," said Sam, casting a glance at Amara to see if she reacted to that. She didn't. Rahne, though, did.  
  
"I think they're both very interesting," Amara did say, turning to smile at her blonde friend. "What do you think, Tabby?"  
  
"Huh?" Tabby looked back at them with a start, having not heard a word of their conversation. She had been too busy staring at the girl. "Oh, right. They seem pretty cool."  
  
At that Amara forced a smile, feeling suddenly disappointed. Though for the life of her, she couldn't figure why.

* * *

Breakfast ended about an hour later, everyone helping to clear the dishes, then going on their merry way. In the kitchen, Ororo pulled Kitty aside, asking her if she'd give Day and Rosaline a tour of the mansion. So it was that the bouncy brunette bounded up to them once they were all done, and dragged them off towards the front of the mansion. No better place to start than that, after all.  
  
Tabitha watched them leave, and deciding fast, grabbed Amara's arm and pulled her in the same direction. "Come on."  
  
"Tabitha, what are you doing?" asked the princess.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
She frowned. "Do you mean to cause trouble?"  
  
Her best friend grinned. "Actually, no. I'm just curious."  
  
"...About the boy?" Amara ventured as they shadowed the small group.  
  
Without thinking, or looking back, Tabitha answered. "No. About her."  
  
And for some reason, the princess of Nova Roma blushed, but kept following her friend anyway.  
  
They caught up with them as they were passing the living room, pointlessly ducking out of sight and peeking around the corner to watch Kitty explain the TV.  
  
"So you just, like, push this button to turn it on, if the remote's lost, which happens a lot. I'd show you how to use it, but, like, we've gone through six this month already, so it'd be kinda pointless."  
  
"Yeah," Day replied, trying to look as interested as possible. "...Who's playstation is that under the vcr?"  
  
"That? Oh, that's Ray's. You can use it if you ask him first. I think."  
  
He nodded. "Cool."  
  
Rosaline remained silent, taking in the room. She was staring at the potted plants near the windows, shifting her weight as if she wanted to go over and look at them closer. Or touch them.  
  
Kitty, not noticing, led them into the next room. Still trying to stay out of sight, Tabby and Amara followed them. The girl babbled on about various aspects of each room, getting dulled responses from the goth boy, but few words from his sister.  
  
That is, until they reached the gardens.  
  
"Ororo attends to those," Kitty explained, keeping her pace as they approached. "She doesn't have to do much, like, maybe water them if it hasn't rained in a while, but that, like' usually isn't a problem."  
  
"They're nice," Day said, glancing back at his twin as they were about to pass the doors. He knew exactly what was going to happen.  
  
Rosaline stopped, pressing her hands against the glass and staring in wonder at the flowers and bushes and trees. Sensing she had done something, Kitty turned, and looked at her as if she had three heads. Day just grinned.  
  
Without turning to meet her gaze, the pale blonde asked, "Can we go out there? Please?"  
  
Shocked at the fact that she had actually said more than two words, Kitty nodded, and went over to open the door. No sooner was the door open than Rosaline hurried out, her brother holding the door for Kitty to pass, then leaving himself.  
  
Tabby looked at Amara, then moved to follow them outside. "Come on," she said again. Amara bit her lip.  
  
But before they could reach the door, a bark from down the hallway distracted them, and bounding towards them was Rahne, in full wolf form and a Frisbee in her mouth. She almost ran right into them, but stopped just in time, shifting back into the russet-haired girl they knew and loved.  
  
"There ye are!" she exclaimed, plucking the toy from her mouth. "Been lookin' all over for ye. C'mon, we're all going t'play Mutant Frisbee!"  
  
"As in with powers?" Amara wondered.  
  
"As in with powers," grinned the 'werewolf.' "So c'mon, ev'ryone's waiting!" She grabbed one of each their wrists then, without waiting for a response, and dragged them down the hallway with her.  
  
Tabitha took one last glance through the doors before they were out of view, looking for Rosaline again. When she turned back, Amara was staring at questioningly. She shrugged.  
  
"There's just something about that girl."

* * *

Outside, Rosaline had stripped off her sandals, and was already numbers of feet ahead of her companions. She seemed to forgotten they were even there. Lost within her own world, she spun in circles, reaching out to let her fingers graze the leaves and buds.  
  
Kitty tried not to gawk, then looked to Day for an answer. He smiled and put his hand on her shoulder, his eyes still set on his sister's antics. "Ever since she was a kid, she loved plants. She spent more time in our yard than she did in the house. Then, last week, we found out why. Her mutation IS plants, she can control them, talk to them, help them grow and bend them to her will and stuff. So it makes sense when she goes off like this."  
  
Kitty looked at Rosaline again, who was kneeling in the dirt talking to a flower as if it were a person. She then looked again at Day.  
  
He shrugged. "Okay, it kinda makes sense."  
  
Somehow satisfied with that, she watched Rosaline again, amazed that her mutation had this much of an effect on her life. Well, that wasn't true; Rogue's mutation affected her life a lot. But this was different. As she watched, she noticed that the plants were all turning to follow Rosaline as she danced among them, turning their stems and heads to watch her. Her blue eyes widened.  
  
"Wow..."  
  
Day nodded, also entranced by his sister's power. "Yeah. Wow."  
  
Then, watching the girl, Kitty found herself wondering something. She turned to Day again. "Can I ask you a question?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Jean said you, like, arrived here in the middle of the night last night. Why? I mean, it just seems kinda sudden, you know."  
  
His eyes clouded over, and he paused a bit before responding. "It was sudden, but we couldn't help it," he finally decided on. "And I'm not the person to tell you why. It's more Rosie's story than mine."  
  
"Oh," said Kitty, a bit disappointed. As much as she tried not to gossip, she had been very curious. "Well, anyway, we should get going. We've still got stuff to see."  
  
"Right," Day replied. "Wait here." He started towards his sister then, slowly, as not to shock her out of her world too quickly. Once he was close enough, he put a hand softly on her back, and stepped a bit closer. "Rosie?"  
  
She spun around to look at him. Her eyes had turned brown, and the tips of her hair were now green.  
  
"We have to go. You can come back later."  
  
She looked sad for a moment, then nodded, slowly. Her eyes faded back to gray, and the tips of her hair to pink. As they did, the flowers turned away from her, resuming the positions they had been in before she came along. Kitty gawked again as they walked back towards her, Day reaching to open the door for the ladies.  
  
Rosaline smiled at her, swishing her wavy blonde tresses over her shoulder. "Well come on," she said cheerily. "Let's go."  
  
Kitty just nodded, and went back inside to continue their tour.

* * *

Later that evening, the mansion was quieter. Many students had gone out for the night. Scott and Jean were on a date, presumably, and Rogue had taken Day to her local haunts. They were quickly becoming friends, to be sure. Some of the younger mutants had gone out to the movies, and those that were still around were carefully ignoring their homework.  
  
Tabby, Ray, and Bobby were included there. They had taken over the living room, holding a tournament between themselves on the latest racing game. Bobby was reclining in an armchair, watching the blondes battle it out and waiting her term, albeit vocally. After one of his cat-calls, Tabby had to swerve violently out of the way to miss another car, almost knocking herself off the couch.  
  
"Bobby I swear to god if you do that again!!!"  
  
He grinned. "Aw, you know you love me."  
  
"In your dreams," she shot back, going back to the game. She was gonna win, damn it. No way she'd lose to a boy, that would be just humiliating, she'd have to listen to them gloat and probably put bombs in their cereal...not that she wouldn't do that anyway, but still. Arching sideways, she turned a sharp corner, and could almost see Ray's car...  
  
...until she missed the next turn and smashed headfirst into another wall, her virtual car going up in flames just as her rival crossed the finish line.  
  
Ray jumped up, taking full advantage of the victory dance opportunity. "Oh yeah! Take that, bitch!"  
  
"I'll show you who's a bitch!" she grinned, playfully leaping at him. "I'll make you hurt so bad...wait, you might like that. Never mind."  
  
Bobby laughed, and Ray looked insulted, but only for a moment. The two boys took up the controls then, plopping down on the couch for their next race. Tabby stretched, and instead of sitting down in the empty armchair, decided she was hungry.  
  
"I'm gonna make some popcorn," she announced, heading for the kitchen. She figured the boys wouldn't miss her for long. Humming her favorite song of the moment, she swayed down the hallway, pushing open the door and heading for the cupboards.  
  
She was halfway in before she realized someone else was in there. It was Rosaline, standing over the stove and glaring at a mug of steeping tea. She looked up as Tabby came in, and nervously smiled, looking embarrassed as if she had been caught somewhere she shouldn't have.  
  
"Oh, hey," said the blonde bombshell, pulling a bag of popcorn from the cupboard.  
  
"H-hello," the new girl stammered.  
  
She put her popcorn in the microwave and turned it on, leaning against the counter to wait. Then, after a moment of thought, she moved and stuck out her hand to the girl. "I'm Tabitha."  
  
The girl looked at it, surprised, then reached out and shook it. Through their contact, Tabitha could physically feel the girl relax. Not that the smile she got didn't tip her off either.  
  
"I'm Rosaline. Er, Rosie, really. Hi."  
  
"Hi." She let go, and leaned against the counter again. "So, Rosie, what brings you to the Institute?"  
  
The small woman thought for a moment, then smiled, and pointed a finger to a small plant on the windowsill above the sink. At her movement, it coiled and grew, one small vine of it reaching through the air to wrap around her outstretched finger. "That."  
  
"Whoa...cool," her kitchen companion replied, watching as the plant shrunk back to its normal size. Now in the mood to show off, she cupped her hands together, filling them with tiny bombs and holding them out to Rosaline. The girl's eyes widened, and she bent forward, her lips slightly pursed. Tabitha forced herself not to look at those lips, or at the cleavage Rosie's bending forward had revealed.  
  
"Whoa," she repeated, and straightened back up. She blushed a bit too, either impressed or embarrassed again, or maybe something more.  
  
Tabby fumbled for something clever to say. "Yeah, I make things go boom," she grinned. Then wanted to hit herself for sounding like such a moron.  
  
Rosaline just laughed.  
  
Awkward silence took over then, and taller blonde turned to the cupboards again, rummaging through them as if she were looking for something. Really she just wanted to create noise; the silent thing wasn't working right now. The other turned to her tea, deciding it was done steeping, and set to fixing it up. Once sufficient sugar and milk had been added, she turned again, stepping towards the door. But instead of exiting, she lingered, trying not to stare too obviously at the taller girl.  
  
Tabitha peered over her shoulder, knowing she was still there, and their eyes met. She had never seen eyes so...gray. No, not gray, silver. With hints of blue or green around the edge.  
  
"I should go," Rosaline said suddenly, breaking their gaze. She took one hand off her steaming mug, opening the door. But before she left, she cast one last smile at the girl. "I'm glad to meet you, Tabitha."  
  
She grinned back. "Nice to meet you too."  
  
She left then, and barely a moment after she was gone, Amara entered the room. She smiled beautifully as she strode towards the fridge. "Hey Tabitha."  
  
"Hey 'Mara." The microwave beeped, and she pushed the button to open the machine and pull it out.  
  
Amara opened the fridge door, bending down to get a drink, then straightened back up. "Um, did you talk to her?"  
  
"Rosie?"  
  
"Rosaline, yes."  
  
"Yeah, I did." She opened the bag, ignoring the steam and pulling out a few pieces of the golden snack. "She's really cool, you'll like her. She's got plant powers, and apparently likes tea, and she has the most amazing eyes...what?"  
  
Her friend's face had gone sour, her fragile features twisted into a look of either sadness or jealousy. She was trying to mask it, but it wasn't working. Somehow she knew that, so she just shook her head, and bent down again to pull out a soda.  
  
"Amara, what's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing," she practically spat back, closing the fridge. "I'll see you upstairs." And before she could ask again, she was gone.  
  
All Tabitha could do was stare after her, confused as all hell.

* * *

Author's note: Well, here it is, Queer reborn. Hope you guys like it. Obviously this is going to be more Tabby/Amara, but the web of involvement between, uh, everyone will still be there. So it's a bigger and better Queer, with even more fun plot developments. Squee! And less suckyness. Much less suckyness. Anyway, more to come soon, and don't forget to review looks cute 


	2. They Dance

**Triangle**

By Lady Comet

An X-men Evolution exploration (…or fanfic)

Disclaimer: I own only my own brainchildren. Everything else I'm just borrowing and bending to my will

Pretense: This is a rebirth of my old story, Queer, under a new name and less suckyness. Characters will be better developed, there will actually be a plot, and I'll not make up my own personalities for already existing characters. So really, goodness for all.

Warnings: Femslash galore, as well as some minor slash, het, adult situations, and bad language. Viewer discretion advised. Also, please do not use my characters without my permission. Thank you.

* * *

Triangle

Part 2 – They Dance

_Dear diary,_

_I've been at the Institute for a week now. Things are going…interestingly. I've started school, but I'm invisible there as I was at home. Well, you know what I mean. As expected, I don't really know anybody that well yet. Though I've gotten to be pretty good friends with Kitty. She's very nice, and smart, and doesn't ask too many questions about why I'm here. I mean, its not that I don't want people to know, I just…well, I'm obviously not ready yet. Anyway, Day's been doing well. I still feel guilty about dragging him here, but he insisted on coming with me, so I guess I shouldn't, but still. He's making friends a lot better than I am, he's getting along will with this girl Rogue, who dresses a lot like him and likes the same kinds of stuff. I don't know if he's interested in her or not, it doesn't seem like that. Besides, he'd say something to me, if he did. As for me, well, there is this girl…but I think she's with this other girl, and I don't wanna get in the way, and I'm too shy anyway. Maybe that's part of my problem. _

_I really have no confidence in myself, do I?_

Rosaline closed her notebook, tracing her fingers over the fairy on the cover. She'd have to finish her entry later. She still had to get ready.

Sighing, she got up from her desk, and wandered over to her bed to change. She had chosen a thin light green top that wrapped around her torso, and flowed, but had no sleeves and left her shoulders bare, and a darker green skirt that clung tight to her thighs and ended above her knees. It wasn't something she'd usually wear, but her brother had told her to look good. Dress to impress. So she hoped this would work.

Silently she slipped out of her jeans and tank top, and slid into the outfit she'd chosen. As she studied her reflection in the mirror, even she had to admit, she managed to make it look good. Absentmindedly, she reached into one of the drawers on her dresser and pulled out some hairpins. Crossing the room again, she reached behind to put up her hair, twisting the curls expertly into a very loose bun, some tendrils still hanging around her ears. She spun around in circles then, as if she had a radio playing in her head that only she could hear.

It had been a while since she had been dancing, after all.

There was a knock on her door, and Day opened it and peeked inside just as she had put on her jewelry. "Hey sis," he said, and entered since she was decent. "You look good."

She blushed. "No I don't. But thanks anyway."

He leaned against the wall, waiting as she laced up her sandals, which had thin heels and ribbons wrapped criss-cross all the way up to her kneecaps. He himself had gone all out for the occasion, wearing a button up shirt made of purple fishnet, the collar and cuffs made of black vinyl. For some reason he was ridiculously proud of the fact that you could see his nipple rings through the sheerness of the fishnet. His pants were kinda tight, black vinyl too, to match the other parts of the shirt, and they fell over his monster-like boots. He was weighed down with silver jewelry, and had drawn swirls in black eyeliner around his eyes. His lips were black too.

Rosaline finished lacing herself up, and stood to look him up and down in turn. "You're lucky it's almost summer."

"Not really. I'll burn up when I get into the club. Vinyl tends to do that." He reached into her closet and grabbed her green cloak, holding out to her. "So, ready to go, princess?"

Despite her nervousness, she smiled. "Absolutely."

* * *

Across town, the final bus into the city pulled into the station. It was getting late, so there was no bus out, but it wasn't likely that anyone arriving in Bayville this late would be leaving the same night.

A few people stepped off the massive vehicle, businessmen, random people who might have had family in the area.

The last person off was clearly not either of those. It was a young woman, of average height, but her steel-toed boots might have added some to that. Her coat, laden with buckles, fell to her ankles, swishing around her as she stepped onto the platform. All she had with her was a backpack, patched up with duct tape. It contained everything she owned. Looking around, she shoved a hand through her messy blue hair, cropped short and oddly as if she had cut it herself. The scars on her face were clearly visible, some trailing out of view into her clothes, which probably hid more. She pursed her lips, then decided on a way to go, and went for it. The other people watched her leave with frightened relief, but she paid them no attention.

This had to be the right place. It looked like it, anyway. The vision had been clear last time, and she knew what she had to do, more than anything. If she didn't find the boy, he was going to die. And there had been enough blood in her life already.

Noting the street signs, she kept going, plunging headlong into the darkness. She had no idea where to find him, but she had to try.

* * *

They met to leave in front of the mansion. There were seven of them in all; Day, Rosaline, Rogue, Kitty, Tabitha, Amara, and oddly enough, Bobby. Tabitha and Amara had been the first ones there, followed by Bobby, who took little time to notice their outfits. Tabby wore a hot-pink tank top and tight jeans, topped off with lots of jewelry and platform sandals. Amara was dressed much more modestly, in brown leather pants and boots, her top covered in a Greek-looking wrap of red. She did her hair in a braid again. Tabby only wished she had been the one to tell her it was cute.

"Very nice, girls," he smirked, not hiding at all the fact that he was eying Tabby's cleavage.

She just shook her head in mock-disbelief. "Keep it in your pants, boy." Then she took the opportunity to look him up and down. "Not bad yourself, though."

He grinned, posing in his new dark blue jeans and ice blue shirt, which had, oddly enough, blue-purple flames on it. "Thanks."

Rogue came out next, done up for the occasion as well. She had pulled back her hair, similar to the way she had in the Dracula musical she did at school, and wore a purple dress layered with black lace. Also, she wore tall, tight black boots designed around the foot like a stereotypical witch's shoe, and matching opera gloves. Even if one didn't approve of her style, they'd have to admit she looked stunning.

Tabby whistled. "Wow."

Amara sighed, but smiled at Rogue anyway. "Where'd you get that?"

"Well, Ah kinda made it," said the goth girl embarrassedly. "More like put it together though."

"Seriously?" gawked Bobby. He could not understand the concept of not buying clothes premade.

She grinned sheepishly through dark-purple lips. "Ah just put the lace on, really. It's not that big a deal."

Tabby grinned back. "Well it's still the shit. Didn't know you could do that."

"Ah guess Ah'm just full of surprises," she said, ending the conversation and looking around for the two people missing. "So where's Day an' Rosaline?"

"Not here yet, I'd guess," Bobby replied, sitting down on the steps. "How're we getting there anyway?"

To that, Tabitha reached in her pocket and pulled out a set of keys, spinning them around her finger. "Jean's SUV."

"You got Jean to let us borrow her SUV to go clubbing?"

"No, I got Jean to let us borrow her SUV to go to the movies. She's so clueless."

"But we all won't fit in there," Amara observed.

"Kitty went ta borrow Lance's jeep, too," Rogue informed them. "So with that we'll have enough room."

"Who gets to drive that?" Bobby asked hopefully.

Rogue shook her head at him. "Ah do. So don' you get any ideas."

He pouted. "You guys never let me have any fun."

Finally, the doors opened again, and out came the manor's newest twins. Rogue grinned at the sight of Day, and both Bobby and Tabby couldn't help but gawk at Rosaline. She blushed, and looking between the two blonde women, the princess Amara found herself getting irrationally jealous. But she smothered it, and smiled beautifully. She did, however, step between them possessively.

"All accounted and present for?" Day said.

"Present and accounted for, brother," Rosaline corrected.

Tabitha just laughed. "Yes sir, well, no, Kitty went to get the jeep."

"Ah should go start up the car," Rogue said to that, and left the group to go inside the garage.

Bobby stretched his arms, pretending to yawn in boredom. "So, Day, where are we going? Francisco's? The Blue Room?"

"No and no."

"Uh, there aren't any other clubs in town."

He grinned again. "Oh yes there are. Is, rather."

Everyone else but Rosaline looked confused. "Uh, where?" asked Tabitha.

He put his hands on his hips defiantly, jutting out a hip in an oddly feminine manner, and widened his smile. "The Witch's Tit."

After a moment of blank stares, both Bobby and Tabby burst out laughing. Amara and Rosaline blushed, even though Rosaline had known the name of the place. Day just looked triumphant.

"He he, sounds like my kinda place," giggled the blonde bombshell, after she had managed to get some air again. She cast a side wards glance at Amara, who met her gaze, but didn't say anything back.

"It's a goth club," the dark boy went on to explain. "Might not be the best scene for any of you, but you'll have fun anyway. The bar will make sure of that."

Tabby's face lit up. "Bar?"

He laughed. "Yes. Al-co-hol."

She was practically salivating already.

Beside her, Amara tried to wrap the idea around her head. "But, if it's a place with alcohol, how are we gonna get in? None of us are old enough."

Rosaline spoke up then, looking at her brother disapprovingly. "He's going to use his power to get us in?"

"His power?" repeated Bobby.

Day looked infinitely proud of himself suddenly. "Empathy, kids."

"How is that going to help us?"

"Oh, you'll see." His eyes moved then, and they all followed his gaze to see Kitty pulling up to them in Lance's jeep. She was done up good as well, in pink, as usual. She honked the horn twice and beckoned them inside, just as Rogue pulled the SUV up next to her. Bobby took Tabitha and Amara by the arms, playfully, and dragged them towards the jeep. If Kitty was driving, there was no way that wouldn't be an adventure, and he sure wasn't going to miss it. That left Day and Rosaline with Rogue, and once everyone was seated, they were off.

It took them less than ten minutes to get there, but longer to park, and then to walk back to the club since they ended up a few blocks away. Already they saw a line in front of the place, which appeared to be in the basement of an abandoned building. There was no sign above the entrance, only the bouncers on either side of the door. Assumedly, if there had been one, it had been taken down due to complaints from the more elderly community. After all, the word 'tit' was very taboo.

Rogue and Day took the lead, having both been there before. They got at the end of the line, watching everyone in front of them fiddle with their ID's. Everyone they saw was in black, an obvious part of the subculture, and suddenly Bobby, Kitty, Tabby, and Amara felt very out of place indeed. Rosaline just looked nervous, even though she looked even more out of place than they did. The line passed quickly, and before they could even wonder how they were going to pull this off, they found the tall, burly bouncers looming over them.

And then, Day worked his magic.

All the rest of them could see was that he smiled at them, and suddenly, they smiled back. Only he knew that he had reached into their minds, or rather, their hearts, and altered their emotions to make them so deliriously happy that they wouldn't care to look at their identification. It took only a moment, and at that smile, the men moved aside, and inside they went.

"Like, what did he just do?" Kitty gasped, her eyes adjusting.

Rosaline just smiled. "I'll tell you later."

The club was packed already. Bodies were tangled together on the dance floor, jostling each other at the bar, clamoring for the few tables the place had. A band played live upon the stage, an odd combination of rock instruments and…a cello. There were three of them; two girls, and one boy on the drums, all dressed in oddly old-looking clothing like corsets and vintage skirts.

Upon sighting them, Day gave a rather fangirlish squeal, and started bouncing around like a weasel on crack. "Ohmygodohmygoditsrasputina!"

Bobby stuck a finger in his ear. "Uh, come again?"

"Rasputina. It's his favorite band," his twin explained, looking as if this were a daily occurrence.

Day grabbed Rogue then, still very much spazzing. "Come on, we have to go dance!" And before she could respond, he pulled her into the crowd of people.

"Uh, I wonder if she, like, remembers she doesn't like crowds," Kitty pondered.

Bobby let out a noise then, and they all looked at him, only follow his eyes to a group of three skimpily dressed girls at a table in the corner. Without wasting another moment, he stepped forward, obviously making to go talk to them.

"Bye girls got work to do have fun!" he yelled over his shoulder, grinning, then disappeared.

"That was, like, kinda rude of him," the short brunette noted, crossing her arms. "Stupid boys."

"Ooh!" squealed Tabby then, grabbing Amara's arm. "There's the bar! Let's go." She led the two of them that way, but then turned back, looking at Rosaline. "You want anything, Rosie?"

She turned bright pink at her words, matching Kitty's outfit. "N-no, I'm fine."

"Okay. Find you guys later," she grinned, then dashed off with her best friend.

"Ooooookay," said Kitty, only a little surprised that the blonde would go right for the booze. "So, wanna find somewhere to sit?"

"Yeah, might as well," her companion replied, forcing down the color that had rushed to her face. Tabby had only offered her a drink to be polite, after all. Nothing else. Really. Besides, even if she had, Amara would surely have killed her.

Miraculously, they managed to find an empty table, and grabbed it before anyone else could notice it. Kitty leaned her head on her hands, her eyes browsing the crowd around them. Rosaline watched them too, trying to ignore the stares they got due to their colorful clothes. There certainly was lots of eye-candy there for the viewing, though they weren't looking at the same kind. They sat in silence for a while, each to their own thoughts, until Kitty finally broke it.

"Ohmigod look!" she gasped suddenly, pointing to the dance floor.

Rosie followed her finger, her gaze resting finally on Rogue and Day. But, no, not just them, someone else was there now too. A girl with short black-red hair, in a tight red corset and fishnet, her wrists weighed down with bracelets and lots of ankh charms adorning the rest of her body. She was dancing dangerously close to Day, and then suddenly, he boldly pulled her into him, their bodies winding together in the strange style that was goth dancing. Rogue just looked impressed.

Back at the table, Kitty's jaw just about hit the table. "Wanda…doing that! Lance is not going to believe this!"

Rosaline laughed melodically, still watching her brother and not bothering to ask who the girl was. She was sure she'd find out later. And she had to admit, he had good taste, though she'd never tell anyone that.

About then, Tabitha and Amara returned, staggering to the table the best they could. Well, more like Tabby staggered, and Amara held her up. They sat down, and it was obvious the bombshell had had more than her fill of drink. Amara, who hadn't drank as much, was far better off.

"'Ello girls," Tabby drawled, grinning. "You really should have something to drink. Soooooo worth it."

Amara grabbed her arm to keep her from falling out of her chair.

"Um, like, no thanks," said Kitty with disgust. "Exactly how much did you have?"

"Six shots," she replied triumphantly.

The brunette just stared at her in awe. "Like, wow…Lance would be proud."

"Who is Lance?" Rosaline asked.

"Her boyfriend," Tabby answered, before Kitty could open her mouth again.

"Like, shut up!" she shot back. "At least I have one. You can barely hold onto a boy for a day!"

"Like I'd want to," she growled. "Boys are gross and at their best only playthings."

The song changed, but neither of them took advantage of it. "You know, if I didn't know any better," Kitty snarled, annoyed at Tabby's drunkenness, and at feeling so out of place, "I'd say you were a –"

"Guys!" Amara interrupted. "Look…"

They both followed her gaze to Rosaline. The girl had gone rigid in her seat, her eyes focused on the band, then on the dance floor, then the band again. It looked like she was trying to decide something, hearing the music. Then, before anyone could say anything to bring her back to reality, she was up and bounding toward the dance floor.

"What the hell?" Tabby wondered, forgetting entirely about her mini-argument with Kitty.

"I dunno," said Kitty, also forgetting. "…Come on." She left her seat, and followed her friend on to the dance floor. Not knowing what else to do, the two girls got up and followed her too, tracing Rosaline's trail to where Day, Rogue, and Wanda were.

They arrived just as the lyrics started.

_Dig Ophelia  
consider it dug  
Flowers madness and polar bear rug  
Here's the water, just ankle deep high  
Lay back relax and look up at the sky. _

The three of them didn't know how to dance to this music, so mostly they just swayed in place, and watched Rosaline dance. Even Day, Wanda, and Rogue and turned to watch her. She flowed, spun, bowed, bent, moved like some fairy girl from a story. It was as if she was someone else. And everyone was put under her spell.

_Your eyes never close  
your mind's not at rest  
Lay back, get waterlogged  
Give us a kiss _

She mouthed the lyrics as she danced, not a sound escaping her lips. More people had stopped to watch her now, and she took up the space they made, dipping and twirling. Tabitha found herself pulled in too, wanting all of a sudden to touch her, somehow, but oddly afraid that she might break at the slightest contact.

_Water spreads the small seed  
Water kills the tall weed  
Ophelia  
_

She did it anyway, stepping into her space and reaching out to lightly take one of Rosaline's hands in hers. The girl didn't miss a beat, pulling the taller blonde into her own world. And they moved together, oddly fitting, somehow, spinning in each others arms.

_Cut the stem and you'll see how you feel  
Floating orchids just ain't no big deal  
Never knowing's like knowing too much  
Tap the table, oh here's more bad luck _

Seeing this, Amara's features deepened into a frown that penetrated into every bit of her being. And the more they danced, the angrier she got. She wasn't even sure why she was getting so mad, she only knew that she was, and if Rosaline didn't stop dancing with HER Tabitha she was going to explode.

_Your eyes never close  
your mind's not at rest  
Lay back, get waterlogged  
Give us a kiss _

Amara's anger had grown so much, by now, that waves of heat were emanating from her body. Kitty felt them, sweat forming on her bare arms, and looked over to see what was happening. Her eyes widened at the sight. Amara's eyes were now as red as flame, and the air around her sizzled, lifting stray pieces of her hair up like the wind.

"Oh shit…"

_Water spreads the small seed  
Water kills the tall weed  
Ophelia  
Ophelia_

Tabitha and Rosaline noticed none of this, even as the song ended. People clapped for them, but they didn't notice that either. They couldn't even let go of each other. Rosaline locked her gray eyes with Tabby's blue, and stared into them, searching for something. Tabby, shocked at herself, stared back.

Then, slowly, Rosaline leaned forward and up, stopping briefly before their lips touched to make sure she wasn't making a mistake.

And in that moment, Amara surged forward and stuck her hands between them, pushing them apart. The heat coming from her body was still there, but not strong enough to burn them, so the only reaction they had was shock. She stood in front of Tabitha then, glaring at Rosaline with possessive hatred.

"'Mara, what the fuck are you doing?"

She turned around, and looking at her best friend, forced her anger to die down. Her body cooled and her eyes became their normal brown again. But her face still retained an expression of fury she had never felt before.

Tabitha, for once, was almost lost for words. "It, it was just a dance."

Amara grabbed her friend's arm then, and dragged her towards the back door. "We need to talk," she stated flatly. They were gone before anyone could stop them.

Rosaline watched them leave, then staggered backwards, suddenly feeling very embarrassed. She wrapped her arms around herself and held on tight. She hadn't meant to jump up and dance like that, she hated drawing attention to herself. But that song had always done that to her, she didn't know why. And though she felt even happier that Tabitha had chosen to dance with her, too, she didn't know what would happen now. Amara must hate her so much…

Feeling his sister's sadness as if it was his own, Day let go of Wanda, and reached to put an arm around her. Without saying anything to anyone, he steered her out of the crowd, towards the front entrance.

It was all the rest could do to just stare after them.

* * *

The back exit led back up to the ground level, into an alley behind the building. Amara had let go of Tabitha as soon as they got on the stairs, but the blonde girl didn't dare run away. She had never seen her friend this furious.

Now out in the night air, the princess spun around again to face her. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but then shut it, and absentmindedly ran a hand over the top of her head and down her braid. Suddenly, the pavement beneath them was very interesting. It kept her from meeting Tabby's eyes, anyway.

"Amara, what the fuck is wrong with you?" Tabby demanded then, deciding the first word was hers. "It was just a dance!"

"No it wasn't!" the dark girl shouted back, her eyes leaving the ground to glare straight at the other girl. "Couldn't you, I mean, the way you two moved together, it was horrible, and it made me feel so bad, and I don't even know why!"

She crossed her arms over her chest, standing her ground. As far as she was concerned, she hadn't done anything wrong. "Why are you so pissed, Amara?" she asked, her voice oozing with venom. "Cause I was dancing with another girl?"

"No!" she spat back, sounding somehow insulted.

"Then what is it?!"

"You were dancing with a girl that wasn't me!!" she screamed, letting out the words before she even thought about them. As soon as they were said, she clamped her hands over her mouth, and her eyes widened. She hadn't meant to put it so bluntly. She hadn't meant for Tabitha to know, ever.

But now she did now, and her eyes were even wider than Amara's. She opened her mouth, licking her lips, moving them as if there were words inside she couldn't get out. She reached out to touch her friend, but she small girl turned away, feeling slightly humiliated. They stood there in silence for what seemed like eternity, neither sure what to say. However, Tabby was not known for staying silent long, and there was something she had to know.

"So...you…?"

Amara turned around again, facing her, her face now softened in sorrow and regret. But her tear-filled eyes still held some hope. She couldn't have known it, but she had never looked more beautiful.

Her answer came out in less than a whisper, but it was enough. "…Yes."

Tabby took a step forward, carefully, and moved to speak again. She didn't get the chance, however, as the door behind them opened again and out stepped a very concerned-looking Kitty.

"Hey," the brunette said hesitantly. She may have been a ditz, but she knew she was stepping into dangerous ground.

Amara forced down her insecurities, smiling as if nothing was wrong, though it was obviously very difficult for her. "What is it, Kitty?"

The girl pointed back towards the door. "We kinda have a problem. You better get back inside."

* * *

Meanwhile, inside, Rogue leaned against the bar, sipping the cheapest wine they had. Kitty had gone to get Tabitha and Amara, and no one knew where Bobby had gone, so all she could do was wait. It was up to them what to do now. She didn't really want to leave, but once the highly unstable blonde found out what had happened, no one else would want to stay. She was sure of it.

Suddenly she felt a warm breath on her back, and she turned around, ready to strike if she was in danger.

Instead, she found herself face to face with a very familiar pair of red-on-black eyes.

"Bonjour, chere," Remy drawled, grinning.

She feigned disgust. "What're ya doin' here, Cajun?"

The couple next to them moved, and he took their space, leaning against the counter quite close to her. "There ain't much better place fo' me in did town, girl. Y'should know dat, I t'ink."

She frowned. "Wish there was a better place for ya."

"The best place fo' me, chere, is righ' where you are," he answered smoothly. "Now, let Gambit buy ya a drink. I can get ya better than dat."

"Ah'll pass," she replied. "Y'know, y'all've been gone since that party, the one where the Professor had that big photo taken…"

"Oui, chere."

"Well, where've ya been, then?"

He sighed. "I had some t'ings ta take care of down south. Dat's all you need t'know."

She frowned. "Ya know, if we're gonna keep bein'…whatever this is, ya can't keep hidin' things from me."

His eyes met hers, and she softened. "I know, Rogue, but…its jus' not time yet. Someday, I will tell ya. I promise."

Their tender moment was ruined then as Tabby came sauntering up to them, followed closely by Amara and Kitty. She looked angry, still, but that expression mingled with lots of wonder and confusion. Amara just looked sad. And of course, Kitty looked confused by it all.

"Uh, found them," she said.

"What's going on?" Tabitha asked immediately. "Where're Rosie and Day?"

"They booked," Rogue answered, shifting herself so she was facing all of them. "Ah bet they went back to the mansion. In Jean's SUV, no less. Guess we'll all hafta use the jeep."

She sighed then, the sound more like a defeated growl. "We should probably go too, then. We can't all return from 'the movie' at different times."

"But we've barely been here an hour!" exclaimed Kitty. "That's, like, not nearly enough time for a successful club trip!"

"Does it matter?" Rogue replied. "I know Ah'm not gonna be havin' fun anymore if Ah stay."

"I, I'm gonna go find Bobby, then," Amara said suddenly, turning on her heel and dashing into the crowd. Tabby shouted after her, reaching out to grab her, but she was already gone.

Kitty sighed. "I'll go get the car started."

That left the Cajun, the southern belle, and the insane bomb-wielding blonde alone together. None of them said anything, and the silence that followed was very awkward. Anyone could tell that Remy wanted to be alone with Rogue, and Rogue was annoyed that she had to leave.

It wasn't long, therefore, before Tabby gave up standing there and barreled into the mass of bodies after her best friend.

But before she could catch up to her, or even have the chance to find her, someone behind her called her name. She turned to search for the voice, and saw Wanda walking towards her. The two of them had never actually talked, only heard stories about each other from others, which made them wary. The witch smiled, though, as she approached.

"Uh, hello…Tabitha."

"Hey," she said, straightening her stance.

She put her hands on her hips. "I'm not going to bore you with small talk. I want to know who that boy is, the one you came in with."

"You mean the one you were almost fucking on the dance floor?"

She didn't look the least bit embarrassed at her words. "Yeah, him."

She smirked. "His name's Day Jackson, new to the Institute, empath, etc. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Wanda frowned, but nodded her head. "Thanks." And without another word, she vanished again into the crowd.

Tabitha pushed onward, continuing her search for her princess of new Rome. Amara, however, found her first, pulling a very forlorn looking Bobby with her.

"But I could have had them! All of them!" he whined.

"You wouldn't have been able to bring them home with you anyway," she scolded. "Now come on, the others are waiting."

"But I could have snuck them in the back!" he continued to bitch. "And my bed's big enough for all of them! Sorta…oh, hey Tabby."

"Hey," she answered him, but only looked at Amara.

Amara, all her feelings coming back to her, only looked away.

Bobby looked between them, wondering what could have happened to make the two girls stop acting so friendly. "Uh…did someone die?"

"Oh come on," Tabby growled, taking his other arm and pulling him back towards the bar. Rogue and Gambit were still there, waiting for them.

"Got him," she said, pushing him forward. "Let's go."

"All right, uh, you guys go on ahead," the goth girl told them, her eyes darting back to Remy. "Ah'll be right out."

Shrugging, Tabby led them out, the silence between her and Amara still confusing the hell out of their companion. Once they were out of sight, Rogue turned back to Remy, smiling slightly regrettably.

"Well, Ah guess Ah should go."

He nodded. "Is dere gonna be enough room in there fo' all of ya."

"We can squeeze in," she replied.

He tilted his head, raising his hand to stroke his goatee in a mockingly thoughtful gesture. "It'd be a shame fo' you to risk ruinin' that dress, havin' t'pack it in so tight."

She tried not to laugh, instead pouting her lips a bit and crossing her arms over her chest. "Then what do ya suggest, Gambit?"

He grinned. "My bike's righ' ou'side. Ride wit' me."

And, despite her best intentions, the Rogue found herself smiling back. "All right," she decided, her answer having been a given even before he said those words. "But ya know, if ya touch me, you're a dead man."

"In more ways den one, chere," he noted, and reached to take her gloved hand in his. "Now, shall we?"

She nodded, still smiling, and led him towards the door.

* * *

After Rogue explained to Kitty that she was going with Gambit, and getting her to not freak out about it, the jeep finally pulled out of its space and onto the street towards home. No one said anything on the way; the tension between the girls in the back seat was too strong. The two of them kept stealing nervous, unsure glances at each other, obviously needing to talk but unable to do so in front of the others. It seemed like they would never get there, it felt so bad, but they did eventually, and Kitty dropped them off, driving back down the driveway to return the jeep to the Brotherhood.

Bobby said goodnight to the girls as soon as they got inside, dashing up the stairs to wallow in his regret of not being able to bring anyone home with him. Now left alone, they just stood staring at each other, unsure what to do now.

After a while, Amara just smiled sweetly, the pain and the hope returning to her eyes. "Um, good night, Tabitha," she chose, and turned to go up the stairs.

"'Mara, we share a room," she reminded her. "And…we need to talk."

The princess paused, her hand resting slightly on the banister. She looked back at Tabitha, not turning her head much, then bit her lip and kept going. "I, I'm going to bed. See you in the morning."

Tabby did not run after her. She didn't go up the stairs and stop her in her tracks, demanded that they speak. She didn't take her princess into her arms and pray that what she had said meant what she thought it did. Instead, she just stood and watched her go. And she wondered. What if Kitty hadn't interrupted them? What would have happened? What would she have said? Clearly, they needed to talk about this. Amara had to know that. She had to. Then why did she just go to bed, ignoring it?

Frustrated now beyond belief, Tabby stalked towards the kitchen, hoping she could find something to soothe her. Maybe if the alcohol hadn't worn off, it wouldn't have been so bad.

Then again, she thought as she popped open a soda, if she hadn't drank so much she might not have randomly invaded Rosaline's dance, and none of this would have happened.

She took a swig. But if she hadn't done it, Amara wouldn't have gotten jealous and said what she did, even if she didn't mean to.

The door opened, and she looked up to see Jean walk in, already in her pajamas. She smiled at Tabby, who forced a smile back, and went to the fridge.

"Hi Tabitha."

Another swig. "Hey Jean."

"How was the movie?"

"What movie?"

The redheaded telepath closed the refrigerator door, a knowing smirk playing across her lips. "The one you went to. Right?"

"Oh, that, right." The can was empty now, and she cast it carelessly into the garbage. "It was good. Uneventful."

"Uh huh," Jean replied, her glass of milk now poured. She moved to rummage through the cupboards for the cookies she had bought. "Bet the others liked it too, yes?"

"Sure."

"What did you see?"

She shoved her hands in her pockets, and headed for the door. "You don't wanna know," she shot back at the older girl, leaving her with that, and started through the hall and up the stairs to her room.

When she got there, Amara was already in bed, the lights off and her curved form facing towards the wall, and away from her. Tabitha sat down on her bed, undoing her shoes, and then lay down. She was too tired from it all to bother doing anything else.

God, how she hated her life sometimes.

* * *

Author's note: There you have it, the long awaited chapter 2! Well, not as long awaited as this story, but you get the point. The band playing at the club was obviously Rasputina, and the song I put in there was 'Dig Ophelia', one of my favorites of theirs. Check them out at . I had to keep the Tabby/Rosie dance scene from the old story, since it still remains such a good plot device, though this story is obviously going in a different direction than the old one. And I hope you all enjoyed the appearance of my third OC; you'll see more of her soon. And find out what her mission is. Stay tuned for chapter 3, which hopefully won't be this long. Until

Irishtomboy06 – Glad you like the new story, and I am flattered that you didn't think that Queer sucked. Though yes, this is way better.

Rurouni Tyriel – Hehehe, glad you like. I did try to work on the characterization more, so I'm happy that came across. And the sexual tension in Tabby and Amara's room must be very intense, especially considering what just happened. As for the introduction of you-know-who, how's that for you? More of her to come, I promise

NctrlBlst – Have fun reading Queer, though keep in mind, lots has changed for this story. Certain people are going to end up with different people, new plot twists, an actual plot too, squee! Glad you like, by the way.

Demono-the-wildfire – Good to know that my old readers are still reading. And thanks for the flowy compliment; I like my work to do that. As well as what you said about Rosie. A lot is going to change in this story, and I hope you still like it, despite the differences. Thanks again


	3. They Talk

Triangle  
  
By Lady Comet  
  
Disclaimer: I own only my own brainchildren. Everything else I'm just borrowing and bending to my will

* * *

Triangle Part 3 – They Talk  
  
The next morning, Amara was the first to wake, as usual. She rolled over, tangled in her crimson sheets, and looked over at her roommate's bed. For a moment she had forgotten what had happened, and things were still as they had been, but as soon as she saw Tabby asleep on top of her blankets and still in her jeans and tube top it all came rushing back.  
  
She couldn't stop the color rushing to her face, though she knew her friend wasn't awake. Sitting up, she drew her knees into her chest and lay her aching head on them. She could barely remember what she had said; her anger and emotion had blurred it all out. But she did remember one thing. She had slipped up, and now Tabitha knew how she felt.  
  
Now fully awake with the memory, the Nova Roman royalty crawled out of bed, running nervous hands through her hair and stealing glances at the sleeping blonde across the room. She moved like a ghost, her mind lost in itself as she went about getting ready from the day. She dressed quickly, pulling jeans and a t-shirt without bothering to try and look exceptionally good. It was a Saturday, if she remembered right. So she deserved to be lazy. Done with that, she stood in the middle of her side, fingering the purple fabric of her top and continuing to stare at her best friend's sleeping form.  
  
What should she do?  
  
Her body moved of its own accord, crossing the space between them and hovering over the other bed, her heart beginning to beat faster and her mind still swimming. She reached out slowly to brush a stray strand of hair out of her Tabitha's eyes. It never ceased to amaze her how soft her skin was. She shook her head. Better let her sleep. They could talk later.  
  
As she headed for the door, closing it softly behind her as she proceeded down the hallway, it occurred to her that she had more talking to do than that. Tabby had been dancing with Rosaline, and after her outburst, the girl must have been very confused. Or scared, though that was more of a subconscious hope. She didn't blame the girl for what had happened, not at all, though the jealousy still smoldered within her. Still, she probably owed her an apology. By the time she had managed to make herself some toast and drink some juice, she had decided. She would find Rosaline and talk to her about what happened, making it clear that she wasn't mad.  
  
And also make it clear that there was something between her and Tabitha already, and she wasn't going to let her fuck it up.  
  
During the past week, Kitty had managed to tell everyone about Rosaline's enchantment of the garden, so Amara had no doubt that if she was up she would probably be there. Stuffing the rest of the toast into her mouth, she headed that way, unsure of what she would do if Rosie wasn't there.  
  
Fortunately, she didn't have to worry. Rosaline was there, far out along the path, curled up on a bench reading a rather thick book. The flowers and other plants in that area had all turned towards her already, though she wasn't using her powers, her influence over them was still that strong. Her back was to the princess as she approached, and she gave no inkling as to whether or not she had noticed or even heard her.  
  
Amara opened her mouth a couple times to catch her attention, but couldn't fin words. Finally she just asked, "Um, what are you reading, Rosaline?", and hoped it was good enough.  
  
It was. "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," came the reply, though the willowy straw-haired girl did not turn to look at her. "Tonks is such a lesbian, it's so awesome, if she were real I'd –"  
  
She stopped suddenly, having turned her head at last to look at whoever had come to her. Her whole face was red in embarrassment, and she scrambled to shut the book and find herself again. It seemed as if she had gotten so engrossed in the story that she had forgotten where she was, almost even how meek she was. Now, back in reality, she just stared dumbly at the young woman who had been so angry at her.  
  
The darker of the two forced a very awkward smile. "Hello."  
  
"H-hi..." She bit her lip, and slid over on the bench, allowing room for her to sit down.  
  
She did so, and they sat in silence some more, neither of them knowing how to talk about what had happened. It seemed like an eternity before either of them gathered enough courage to speak. And oddly, it was Rosie who did.  
  
"Listen, I'm sorry," she started, her voice shaky and quickly turning into a babble, "I didn't mean for what happened to happen, and I understand if you're angry, and you can yell all you want, I don't mind, and –"  
  
"Whoa, Rosaline, slow down," her companion interrupted, holding up her hands in apparent defense. "I did not come here to argue. I just want to talk. Can we just talk?"  
  
"Y-yes," she replied after a moment, still looking scared and guilty.  
  
She took a deep breath. "All right. I just want to say that...I'm sorry. I know I acted very rude, overreacted, really, and I didn't mean to scare you."  
  
One of the blonde's eyebrows arched in disbelief.  
  
"...Okay, I did mean to scare you, but I'm sorry now. I guess I wasn't thinking."  
  
Beside her, Rosaline visibly relaxed, and genuinely smiled. "I'm sorry too. I didn't realize you two were so connected to each other. If I had, I would have found a way to stop with her."  
  
Amara nodded. "I don't blame you for what happened, Rosie."  
  
She nodded back. "I know. But I am still sorry."  
  
Silence reigned again; leaving them both to their thoughts, as they separately stared at the flowers around them. Some were quivering with the tension that had been between the girls, now feeling the aftershocks of it through Rosaline's power. Amara drew her knees to her chest and scared at the sky. Now that what she had needed to say was said, she didn't know what to do. She should leave, she supposed, so the wisp of a woman next to her could go on with her reading. But she didn't want to go back to her room yet, and where else was she to go?  
  
Rosaline glanced over at her, not yet reaching for her book. Maybe she wasn't ready to part with her either...  
  
"Do you like mythology?" the princess found herself asking suddenly."  
  
"Yes," her companion answered.  
  
She turned to her, now finding a string of conversation they could share. "There's a myth I know of, the elders of my people hold it in high regard, though the disrest in my own generation makes it seem less tangible. The story is that originally, human beings were like two people in one, stuck back to back, and we were more powerful and knowledgeable that way, but there was no love because everyone was whole as they were. And there were three kinds of people, the two-man kind, the two-woman kind, and the man- and-woman kind. But then the gods saw how powerful and knowledgeable we were like that, and feared us growing to be like them, or something, so they split every person in half, making people as they are today. And now everyone is doomed to spend their life searching for their other half. And it doesn't matter what sex they are, they just are, and love is what finding that person is."  
  
"I've heard it before," the smaller said, her eyes alight with the memory. "It's been talked about a lot in certain areas of the Queer community."  
  
The Brazilian-Roman girl bit her lip, pondering whether or not to ask. "Um, I hope you don't mind me asking, Rosaline...," she broke after a moment, "but, what are you?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I knew you liked girls from the moment I saw you. Its not uncommon back home, so I've seen it before, and I know the way you've looked at only the girls here and not the boys. I don't even know why I'm asking, but something in me wants to know."  
  
It could have gone bad then, she could have been insulted that anyone had the gall to wonder, or been embarrassed by the forwardness of the princess' question. But instead she just smiled again, and turned her head to stare wistfully at the trees and the grass and everything green as she explained herself. "I knew I was different ever since I was a little girl. When I got older, I dated boys because that was what you were supposed to do, but I think everyone knew anyway. And when I finally accepted myself and stopped hiding I got the good and the bad of it...but I'm better now, being who I am. I guess you'd say I'm a lesbian, but I'm just a woman too..." she smiled. "...looking for her other half."  
  
Amara nodded, finding herself embarrassed instead. "I thought so. And I'm sorry, that was forward of me."  
  
"Yes, but its all right." She turned her face back to her. "Now, if you don't mind my asking, where do you lie?"  
  
"Me?" the darker girl repeated. "I...don't know. I never really thought about it, not until..."  
  
"Until you met Tabitha."  
  
"Yeah, until her," she blushed. The memory of what had been said in the alleyway last night came rushing to her again, more vivid and colorful than before.  
  
A final question from her new friend (if she could call her that) jarred her out of remembering. Her small features were serious now, as if what she was about to ask meant more than anything.  
  
"Do you think she's your other half?"  
  
Amara thought for a moment, but honestly could not answer yes or no. "I don't know that either," she replied. "I guess it's up to her now."  
  
Rosaline nodded, her pale golden curls bobbing around her head and over her shoulders in a wave. "Well, I concede to you, anyway. I don't really think she and I would have worked in the long run."  
  
Stunned, the princess just nodded. "...Thank you."  
  
The girl smiled back, not a hint of regret in her expression. "Anytime."

* * *

Tabitha awoke hours later, her head throbbing. She raised her hands to cover her face, as if what would have helped stop the pain, and numbly realized she shouldn't have drank so much the night before. Keeping her eyes closed, she sat up, listening for the sounds of her roommate sleeping.  
  
Hearing nothing, her eyes snapped open, and she remembered everything that had happened. The dancing, how angry Amara had gotten, and what had happened in the alleyway...where was she? Ignoring her headache, she looked around for signs of where her 'Mara could have gone too. Her nightgown was folded up on her bed, and her shower stuff was still in the room, so she must have been done and downstairs already.  
  
Now determined to try and find her, knowing that above all things they needed to talk, Tabby swung her legs over the side of her bed and abruptly stood. The world spun with the movement, and it was all she could do to sit back down again and catch her breath. The pain increased from her attempt, and she tried desperately to shake it away...which of course didn't help at all. Several moments passed before she could even think again. Her eyes traveled down to her clothes, noting that sleeping in them hadn't been a good idea either. She should probably change before she went downstairs. And find some aspirin. Lots of aspirin.  
  
She tried to stand again, slowly this time, and moved herself over to her dresser. Trying not to make too much noise, she rummaged through her top drawer for the drugs, and upon finding them downed four without water. That done, she quickly and roughly brushed her hair, letting it hang down around her ears instead of taking the time to style it into its usual fan or the pigtails she had started to like. Next, she tore off her top, pulling a different t-shirt on over her naked torso. She could bother with putting on a bra and changing her jeans later.  
  
Hoping that she at least looked decent, she stuffed the aspirin bottle into her pocket and headed into the hallway, praying she wouldn't run into anyone. Luckily she didn't, and soon found herself clinging to the railway as she staggered down the stairs. Fuck, how much had she drunk? She hadn't had a hangover this bad in years. Better get to the kitchen first, drink some water. And eat something.  
  
However, when she got there, the place wasn't empty. Rogue and Day sat at the table in the middle of the room, talking over matching cups of coffee.  
  
"So he wanted me t' stay at his place," Rogue said, not noticing the bombshell walk in. "But Ah wasn't gonna do that, even if he can't touch me. Ah swear, he can be such a rat sometimes."  
  
"Swamp rat, you mean," Day quipped, unable to keep from grinning. "If what you called him earlier still applies."  
  
"Oh yeah, it does." She took a swig of her coffee. "Ah don' know why Ah even bother with him."  
  
"Well, you are in two minds about him," he said, then stopped as he finally noticed their company. "Oh, Tabby, hey. ...You look horrible."  
  
"I feel horrible," she replied, going for the fridge.  
  
"Well, Kitty did say ya drank a lot last night," the southern belle smirked. "Had too much?"  
  
She wasn't even well enough to yell at her for her amusement. "Apparently."  
  
Even without concentrating on his power, Day could feel the waves of concern coming from her, knowing her thoughts lingered on her Nova Roman princess. He caught blurred images of what had happened in the alleyway, even though he hadn't been there. The alcohol seemed to alter them a bit. But he caught the gist of it, and slowly the pieces started to come together in his mind.  
  
"You need to talk?" he asked, ignoring the confused look his fellow goth gave him after.  
  
"Yeah, to Amara," she answered, somehow managing not to spill the water all over the counter. She found then that she didn't care if they knew what was going on. She was too concerned and too hung over to worry about her reputation.  
  
He got up to help her, putting away the water jug and getting her some cereal before she could make a mess. "Amara's in the garden talking to my sister."  
  
"What?" came the shocked reply. "Why?"  
  
"Uh, cause you were getting your freak on with Rosie, and thus Amara got possessive? I don't think that can go without talking about."  
  
She glared at him. "You've gotta be kidding. The way 'Mara was acting; Rosie would be dead by now."  
  
"Ah think you give 'your girl' less credit than she deserves," Rogue shot in.  
  
Tabitha just turned her glare on her for a moment, then went back to shooting death at the boy in front of her.  
  
He only smiled pathetically in response, and put a comforting hand on her arm. "You shouldn't bother them right now, they need to talk to and work out whether they're fighting over you or not. And in your present condition, talking to Amara probably wouldn't be the best thing. So why don't you sit here with us and eat, and if you want we can talk too. It might help to get it out before you see her."  
  
"Since when are you a therapist?" Rogue wondered, listening from her seat at the table.  
  
"Since always," he replied, then looked back at Tabitha.  
  
Her eyebrows had turned up to fold in sadness and worry over her eyes, and she bit her lip, not meeting his eyes as she thought. This wasn't any of their business, but hadn't she decided she didn't care? And like it or not, she needed to talk to somebody. Keeping it bottled inside until she saw Amara wasn't going to help the situation at all. She looked up at him then, and saw the genuine concern and desire to help in his features. And her resolve broke.  
  
"All right," she mumbled, still keeping up her façade of toughness and not- caring. "But if you let this leak I'll remodel your stereo. And you know you don't want that."  
  
"Deal," he smiled, and guided her to the table. She sat down and started on her cereal, chugging her water even though she should have been taking sips. The three of them sat in awkward silence then, Day's elbows propped on the table and Rogue fidgeting uncomfortably after a while.  
  
"Uh, do ya want me ta go?" she asked, looking between the two of them.  
  
"No," Tabby mumbled, swallowing a bite of her now soggy cereal. "You can stay. I really don't care."  
  
She frowned. "Wow, that makes me feel welcome."  
  
"Stay, Rogue," Day almost pleaded. "I promise playing therapist will be fun."  
  
"Uh huh, sure."  
  
"Are you two gonna banter back and forth all day or are you gonna listen to me like you said?" Tabby asked then, disgruntled.  
  
"Sorry," the boy apologized. "It's not like you started though."  
  
"Well I am now," she replied, folding her arms over each other on the edge in front of her. She opened her mouth to continue, but stopped then, and rethought herself. Eventually she shook her head, and shoved her bowl and glass away from her with her elbows, sliding across the table to lay her head on her arms in defeat. "Aw fuck it; I don't know where to start."  
  
"Okay...well, what happened with you and Amara in the alley after she took you out there?" Day prompted.  
  
It was as good a place to start as any. "Well, she yelled at me, and I thought she was mad cause I was dancing with a girl, I didn't realize that wasn't an issue, then she said she was mad cause I was dancing with a girl that wasn't her, and I hadn't realized she felt that way about me, and she hadn't meant to say it and got all embarrassed, and I asked her if she meant what I thought she did, and she said yes, and then Kitty interrupted us."  
  
"So she likes you as more than the friend you have been, and thus got all jealous seeing you dancing with another woman."  
  
"Pretty much."  
  
"How do ya feel 'bout her?" Rogue asked, interested despite herself.  
  
"I...well, I'm not sure what it is," Tabitha admitted, pushing herself back to sit up again. "I've never seen love work out, so when I started feeling stuff for her, I just ignored it, cause even if she did feel the same way, it wouldn't work out." Her face twisted into a mix of disgust and anger. "Love never did anything for my parents, did it? Why should I trust it to make my life any better?"  
  
Day bit his lip. He was feeling everything she felt now, all the pain from what her parents had put her through, her fury at her father, and her fear at letting herself actually love and only getting hurt in the end. It was so powerful, he couldn't even think of shutting himself off from it. Luckily, through his own practice, he had gotten good at keeping the emotions at bay and knowing that no matter how powerful they were, they were not his.  
  
"It looks like this has a lot more to do with than just you and her," he said finally. "Are you afraid she's going to hurt you?"  
  
"I'm not afraid of anything," she spat back.  
  
He could have laughed. "Yeah, right. I can feel everything you feel right now. And I know that you're petrified."  
  
Despite knowing what he could do, she was still surprised, and it showed on her face. Rogue smirked, she had never seen the crazy blonde so serious and bare, and in a strange way it comforted her to know that underneath the mischief she caused she was just as human as the rest of them.  
  
Across from her, Tabitha had taken to staring at the tabletop, lost in her thoughts again. She couldn't be scared of getting hurt, its not like she hadn't been hurt plenty of times before. She should be used to it, so it shouldn't matter. But if she was really afraid, then it could be keeping her from having what she wanted with Amara, and it could end up ruining everything.  
  
Her blue eyes met Day's silver, full now of the realization of her fear. "What should I do?" she found herself asking, for the first time in a long time completely at a loss.  
  
"All you can do now is talk to her," he answered truthfully. "If you care for her, and she cares for you, you need to talk about it. And hope she loves you enough to take it slow."  
  
She let her head drop. That was easier said than done. And now, knowing that, talking to Amara didn't seem so easy.

* * *

Lunch passed, and the day got busy. Tabitha and Amara were pulled in different directions, having to take care of different things, so even if they saw each other in passing they didn't have time to talk. Amara had training that afternoon, which she had forgotten, and Tabitha had promised Jubilee they would go shopping. Maybe it was all for the better, that way they had more time to think about what they were going to say when the time finally came.  
  
But still, it didn't make it any easier.  
  
Day and Rosaline had lunch together, finally able to spend the alone time they rarely got now that they were in Bayville. Back at home, they were inseparable, together so much that some people assumed they were almost the same person. Now that they were at the Institute, needing different things and thus leading different lives, they saw less of each other. It wasn't a problem, they were more than capable of functioning individually, but they still missed the time they used t have.  
  
So it was that they found themselves sitting at the fountain in front of the mansion, inhaling their tuna sandwiches like they were kids again, and laughing like nothing had changed. They didn't talk about the night before; since he had taken her out of the club shaking he figured it wasn't a good thing to mention. Besides, if the conversation with Amara had gone badly, he didn't want to ruin her good mood by bringing it up again. So instead they talked of home and the good things they missed, and the antics of their new friends, and how much school still sucked.  
  
That could only last so long though, and eventually the events of the night before had to come up. It was Rosaline who spoke of it first, finishing her sandwich and staring into the water beneath them as if she could see the night replayed in it.  
  
"Hey, Day?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You want to know what happened with Amara."  
  
"You know me too well," he replied, smiling. "How'd you know I knew, anyway?"  
  
"I'm your sister, Day." She turned her eyes to him, matching his. "Even if things have been different here, there are still no secrets between us."  
  
"All right," he conceded. "Spill then."  
  
"Well," she started, putting down her half-eaten sandwich, "I was surprised to find that she's not mad at me. But she's practically in love with Tabitha already, so I decided that it'd be better for all of us if I backed off." The corners of her mouth turned up in the ghost of a smile. "And she told me that origin-of-love myth that I love so much. Apparently she believes it too."  
  
"...That's it?"  
  
She nodded, sending her creamy tresses to writhe on her shoulders.  
  
He put down his sandwich too, then, and leaned over to wrap his arms around her in a sympathetic hug. Even though she hadn't said so, he knew she was a little disappointed that her interest hadn't worked out. "I'm sorry," he whispered, rubbing her back. "It was probably the wiser of you. And I know you'll find your own other half someday."  
  
She shrugged as he let her go. "I know, but it doesn't make being alone any easier...especially after everything that's happened." He said nothing, and in the silence, images of what had happened to make her come here filled her brain. She saw herself running down her neighborhood's streets, pursued by four drunken classmates of hers, all men. All homophobic. All very angry. They caught up with her, and she remembered how it hurt to have them push her down, and how she was too weak to fight back. She remembered another pain as well, flashing through the images of her torn clothes and the blood, stirring up the shame she hadn't felt in a while. Then even though it was too late, she had managed to reach inside of herself and pull upon all she had left, and the plants around her came to life for the first time. One of the boys hadn't survived, and only days later, she had been sent here for her safety.  
  
It took Rosaline a few moments to realize she was crying.  
  
Her brother reached out awkwardly to wipe away her tears. Despite his own gifts, he could never help her with the pain that night caused. And even if she could, she wouldn't let him. She had her own way of healing, especially pain like that. At his touch she fell into his embrace again, and he held her as she sobbed into his shirt.  
  
Neither of them was sure how long it was before she stopped, but she did eventually, and sat back up to rub her eyes with the heels of her hands. Sniffling one last time, she forced a smile at him, silently letting him know she was okay. He returned it.  
  
"So," she said after a few more moments had passed, "how's your love life, brother?"  
  
Tints of pink rose to Day's cheeks, and he found he couldn't stop them. Instantly his mind had gone to a better part of the previous night, specifically her, and how her crimson-clad body had felt pressed up against his on the dance floor. He picked up his sandwich again, taking a bite as if it would hide his blush.  
  
It didn't, he knew, as he saw his sister grin at him. She knew exactly where his mind was, and her jab had worked.  
  
"It...has prospects," he answered finally, setting his mind firmly to how delicious the tuna was.  
  
But not, of course, before noting that her number was still crumpled up in his room.

* * *

A bit later, and farther into town, a certain run-down house was for once very quiet. The boys had all decided it was time to try and get along, bond, or something, and had gone to the mall to see a movie together...and probably cause havoc and general mayhem. Even if it wasn't intentional.  
  
Wanda smirked, turning to the next page of her book. She gave them five minutes before Lance and Pietro exploded on each other and the theatre was in ruins.  
  
Nevertheless, she was much enjoying having the house to herself. The silence was golden, almost too good to be true. And she was taking advantage of it, curled up on the couch with her latest reading project. The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde. Just because she wasn't in school, currently, did not mean she wasn't going to educate herself.  
  
She was in the middle of a particularly good passage when the phone suddenly rang, and she cursed, shutting it and moving out of her comfortable position to go answer it. For a moment, she almost wished the boys were around to do it for her, but that thought was quickly killed by the reminder of how insufferable they were. She tucked the book under her arm and leaned against the wall, picking up the receiver and pressing it to her ear. Hopefully it would be just a courtesy call, so she could get back to the story.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"...Hey."  
  
Despite herself, she smiled. She recognized the voice immediately, smooth, and sweet, like vanilla ice cream, but still very much masculine and filled with kindness. He hadn't said much, but it couldn't be anyone else. "Hey. It's Wanda."  
  
"I know. You said you were the only girl where you lived."  
  
"Good to see you remembered," she replied, forgetting the book immediately.  
  
He laughed lightly, and she smirked, enjoying the sound. Without pausing, or making small talk, he said, "I don't suppose you have any free time tonight."  
  
A small voice in her mind reminded her that the boys would be around, but her desire to have some normalcy in her life killed it. That and he was hot. Even she had to admit it. "Oh, I suppose I could find some."  
  
"Let's go out then," he decided for them both. "What do you want to do?"  
  
"It doesn't matter."  
  
"Wanna just decide later then?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
Though she couldn't see it, on the other end of the line, he was grinning like a kid on Christmas. "Good. Should I pick you up at your place?"  
  
She thought for a moment. "...No. Meet me at the cemetery."  
  
"You know," he replied, "I like you more and more every idea you get."  
  
"Oh just you wait," she shot back playfully, "I've only just begun."  
  
"Should I be frightened?"  
  
She grinned then as well. "Maybe."  
  
He laughed again, and there was a slight pause in the conversation. "So, uh, meet you in the cemetery when?"  
  
"At dusk. And there's a big willow tree in the middle of it, find me there."  
  
"You gonna be getting there before me?"  
  
"Probably," came the disgruntled answer. "Once my housemates get back, I'll need somewhere to go for peace, and no better place than that."  
  
"All right. See you then, then."  
  
"Right. See you." Wanda hung up the phone without waiting for him to say anything else, a genuine look of happiness on her face.  
  
She may be a randomly angry, bitter gothic bitch, but that didn't mean she couldn't be excited about this. Now all she had to do was hide it from Toad, and everything would be perfect.

* * *

In the city, at that exact moment, a certain young woman sat bolt upright in bed. Her eyes wide, she scanned her hotel room, as if someone were going to be lurking there waiting to mutilate her further. The tank top she wore now showed more of her skin, every inch of which bore horrible scars. She ran her hands over her bare arms nervously, then through her blue hair, swinging her legs out of bed and standing up shakily.  
  
She moved to the window, staring out on the city with chocolate-brown eyes. The vision had been even clearer this time, she could see his every feature perfectly, and knew exactly where he was going to be. Her gaze settled on the mansion at the edge of town as she committed it to memory, the building a tiny speck on the horizon. He was going to start from there, and work his way to the cemetery. But he wasn't going to make it.  
  
She let out a soundless sigh, hugging herself tighter. She moved to speak, but again, no words passed her lips.  
  
_It's going to happen_, she mouthed, _tonight.  
_

* * *

Author's note: Ta da! Chapter 3 of goodness...sorta. This chapter kinda wrote itself, I had a lot more intended to be put here now but all this character development happened instead. Oh well, I had fun with it. Next chapter we get to see what's up with the mystery girl, and shit starts to hit the fan. Oh, and a cookie to anyone who guesses what happened to Rosaline prior to this. dangles a box of chocolate-chip goodness over your heads And as always, please review. It gets the chapters out faster   
  
Rurouni Tyriel - giggles girlishly You flatter me. I don't write nearly as good as you do, seriously. My only real pride is my art. Glad you liked so much of it, including the little stuff. And it's thanks to you I wrote Bobby accurately, anyway. Oh, and as for the spat in the alleyway, the 'I love you' lines can wait till later. As you can see, they're not quite to that point yet. Maybe in a few chapters   
  
Demono-the-wildfire – Oh, I'm sure I'll keep doing fine too. And don't worry about me not finishing this one, these characters have been with me for a year now; I'd be a horrible fan if I just let them die. Plus, they'd probably cause rebellion in my mind and make me a vegetable for the rest of my life. Meh.  
  
IrishTomboy06 – Hehehe, interesting is good. Hopefully even more so after this chapter. Glad you liked Masque's appearance too, much more of her next chapter. She really gets to shine soon.  
  
DemonRogue13 – Glad you liked my rewrite of the dance scene, and the aftermath. I very well couldn't leave the dance out of it, since it was so much fun the first time, but it had to change at least a little since the story's a Tabbymara now. Hope you liked this chapter too, I try not to disappoint   
  
Freakyicefairy – Awwww, yay, you like my Rosie! dances Do not worry; she's already got another lover lined up and waiting for her. Not going to spoil it here though. Glad you like the rewrite so far, hopefully it outshines its predecessor. And I hope you see it through to the end too. Thanks! 


	4. They Scream

Triangle  
  
By Lady Comet  
  
Disclaimer: I own only my own brainchildren. Everything else I'm just borrowing and bending to my will

* * *

Triangle Part 4 – They Scream

* * *

Dusk fell, eventually, as it always does, and the mansion came to life again. It didn't take long; no one was going to waste the evening doing homework. That could be saved till tomorrow. Almost no one went out, though, as many of them had done that the night before and there weren't that many mutant-friendly places in town to go. Best not to waste them all in one weekend.  
  
So it happened that Day found himself getting ready alone. It had taken him nearly an hour to pick his outfit; he wanted to look the best he could. After that came the usual dark makeup, and jewelry, and anything else he had forgotten. Grabbing his long black coat, he peeked out his door to make sure no one was in the hallway, then set down it at a brisk walk. He wanted to get out without anyone noticing, meeting a stranger in a graveyard at night was not something he wanted to have to explain away. Like shadow he crept down the stairs, holding tight to the wall, and rushed to the door. Taking one last look behind him, he grinned, considering himself victorious. Then, in a creak of glass and the rustle of his clothes, he was on his way.  
  
Once the door had swung shut again, a small figure stepped out from behind one of the potted plants near the staircase, the leaves having grown tall enough to hide her small form. She swept her wavy blonde hair over her shoulder, pink tips and all, and put her hands on her hips as a wicked smile graced her lips.  
  
"Good luck, bro."

* * *

A bit later, upstairs, a certain redhead lay on her bed, taking a quick nap to get away from the 'kids'. She'd had a horrible headache all day as well, and in her sleep she hoped it would heal a bit. Maybe she'd even be devoid of dreams, which usually helped.  
  
But that wasn't the case. This time she was floating, no, flying over Bayville, in her pajamas, no less, watching the city below her twinkle with the lights of weekend night life. As she went along, she began to circle, like some deranged bird of prey, moving faster and faster and reveling in the feeling of the wind through her crimson locks. She felt her power surge within her, growing, and soon she felt warm. Her eyes opened, and she saw that she was engulfed by psionic flame, knowing somehow that the glow of it had taken on the shape of a large bird, her body in the center of it. She screamed, breaking its hold and dropping a few feet before she caught herself again. She hung there for a few moments, curled into a ball and clutching her head. In its wake the bird had left her pain, searing white pain throughout her entire being. In the pain she lost control, and her power swirled around her, picking her hair up on its ends and trying to unfurl her from her cowering state. But she wouldn't let it, she had dreamed this before, and she wasn't going to let it take her. She forced herself to breathe, and after an eternity, she was finally her own again. Still hovering in the air, she unfolded her legs from her torso, and looked around to where her power trip had taken her.  
  
She was right above the cemetery. And directly below her, waiting beneath the huge tree in the middle, was Wanda. She frowned, seeing this sign of the Brotherhood's presence as trouble. Her eyes darted around again, and settled on a solitary figure walking towards the cemetery, barely twenty minutes away. She concentrated, and using her power, reached down to the person. Now in his mind, her eyes widened, and she sank a bit. It was Day, and he was walking right towards trouble.  
  
Her eyes snapped open; she was back in her room, her body covered in cold sweat. She looked around once, remembering, then vaulted off the bed. She knew what she had seen was real, and if Day was headed that way, he was in serious danger.  
  
She had to alert the Professor at once.

* * *

Meanwhile, further down the hall, Amara Aquilla lay on her bed reading. She had given up trying to find Tabitha for the moment, every time she glanced her she was dragged away to take care of something. She turned a page, frowning slightly. Inspired by her talk with Rosaline, she had decided to brush up on her mythology, and now had a very thick book propped up against her pillows. But she couldn't concentrate enough for any of it to sink in. She'd give it five more minutes, she decided, then find something else to go if it didn't manage to miraculously capture her attention.  
  
She heard the door handle turn and the door attached to it open, and looked up to see her roommate walk in. She didn't notice her at first, preoccupied with her own thoughts, but upon turning around she stopped dead in her tracks. For moments upon moments they just looked at each other, not sure what to say now. Finally, the blonde broke the awkward silence in the best way she knew how, by crossing the room and plopping down into her own bed with exuberance.  
  
This at least made Amara smile, and she smiled back. "...Hey."  
  
"Hi."  
  
Then, despite Tabby's effort, silence took over again, and they both just sat there still just as unsure of what to say. After a while she sighed, knowing that they weren't getting anywhere, and in her impatience burst out, "So...?"  
  
As if this had reminded her why they were sitting in an awkward lapse of speech, the princess blushed, and she nodded her head in response. "...Yeah." Anyone else would have thought the exchange ironically similar to the one that ended their fight in the alley.  
  
Without hesitation, Tabitha opened her mouth to speak again, but before any sound came out she was again interrupted. Professor Xavier's voice rang in both their heads, clear as if he was right there with them._ Attention all New Recruits,_ he said, formally as ever, _please suit up and meet me in the den area, we have a situation. And be prompt.  
_  
Tabitha growled, shaking her head, and looked across the room to Amara. She too looked sullen, though relieved for the moment. Again, she sighed.  
  
"Guess we'll have to do this later."  
  
"Yeah."

* * *

Within five minutes, the New Recruits that remained in the mansion (which was most of them) were all sitting on the couches in the den, staring at each other and the empty fireplace in confusion. Jean stood next to it, her arms crossed, looking worried and concerned in an oddly motherly way. Rosaline was also with them, dressed in her own new-recruity uniform, looking quite annoyed that they were summoned there.  
  
Having just sat down, Tabby and Amara looked at her, then looked at each other as if the other knew why she was so...pissed.  
  
No sooner had they sat down than the Professor rolled in, followed by Scott, who went immediately to Jean's side. Xavier took his place in front of the fireplace, and smiled at those assembled.  
  
"Thank you for getting here so quickly," he started immediately. "As you expect, I have a small mission for you. Jean has had something of a vision, and she thinks Day may be headed for trouble with the Brotherhood."  
  
"He's not headed for trouble, Professor," interrupted Rosaline, leaning forward animatedly in her seat. "He's going to –"  
  
"Willow, your brother was headed right for the Scarlet Witch," Jean interrupted. "Alone too, I might mention. There's no way he can hold his own against her, she beat the entire X-men team not a year ago."  
  
Rosaline seethed, glaring at her. "Well, did it occur to you that he MIGHT be –"  
  
"Uh, excuse me, but who's Willow?" Sam asked. She turned glare at him momentarily, but then turned back to return the redhead's stare.  
  
"Willow is Rosaline's codename, Cannonball," Xavier explained. "Now, if I could continue –" he shot a sideward glance at Jean and Rosaline "– I'd like you to go to the cemetery and find him, just in case the rest of the Brotherhood shows up."  
  
Rosaline stood up then, her hands balled into fists at her side. "I don't see why this is necessary, Professor! He's just –"  
  
"Willow, calm down." This time it was Scott who spoke, though Tabitha had a feeling that if Jean hadn't been 'attacked' by Rosie, he wouldn't be interrupting her. "We just want to make sure your brother is safe."  
  
She sat down again; more like threw herself onto the couch, and crossed her arms angrily over her chest. Everyone was interrupting her, if they'd just let her get a word in she could explain what was really going on. But no, they had to run out and ruin her brother's chance for a normal date. At least one of the pair of them should be able to have a normal relationship, but now it looked like that couldn't even happen for him. She was livid.  
  
Across the couch, a certain Nova Roman heiress was impressed. She was sure if her friend had her powers, she'd be burning like she had at the club.  
  
"Iceman," said the headmaster, looking at Bobby, "you'll be heading this mission. If there's no sign of trouble, just bring everyone home. And in the event that there is a fight, good luck."  
  
He nodded, beaming, and stood, beckoning for the others to follow him. Some laughing, some grumbling, they all got up and left the room in his lead, Sam, Rahne, Jamie, Tabitha, Amara, and Rosaline.  
  
Rosaline, however, paused before leaving; send one last look-of-death at the crimson telepath by the fireplace. Their eyes met, silver on green, and after a moment she broke the contact, striding out in a huff after the others.  
  
Jean shook her head, and without looking at Scott, formed a single thought.  
  
_Kids._

* * *

In town, Day was getting closer to the cemetery. He turned a corner, and now being able to see the gates, quickened his pace. It had started to rain moments ago, but he ignored it. He rather liked rain, anyway. All he worried about was how much of his make up it was smearing.  
  
He did not realize, however, that he wasn't alone. Across the street, hidden behind a tree about her width, a scarred young woman watched him. And waited. She saw him turn the corner, knowing that it was going to happen any moment now. She too felt the rain fall on her face, through her deep blue hair, through the leaves, but she paid it no heed. She had to stop it from happening, she had to save him. Then the visions would stop, and she could keep running, just like she always had.  
  
Or maybe, instead, she could stay, and go to that mansion, and we welcome and actually belong. The rumors could be true, she could learn to control herself, and find friends, and no longer feel so alone.  
  
She bit down on her tongue, hard, jarring herself out of the false dream and tasting the blood between her teeth. No, she couldn't hope. All she could do was concentrate and try to make a difference.  
  
Her eyes darted sideways, and as she expected, a car had turned onto the street. It was still a while away, since this stretch of road was so long, but it would get their soon enough. As she had seen in her mind, the driver was going recklessly fast, barely keeping control as the rain increased and the road became sleeker. She checked on Day again, he was getting closer to the gate, but he wouldn't reach it before the car reached him. He hadn't even noticed it yet.  
  
Come on, she mouthed.  
  
Almost as if he had heard her, he looked up then, and saw the car coming towards him. He saw it coming fast, but he decided that he was still safe on the sidewalk, and pressed on. Across the street, Masque hissed silently. He would have done well to run, try and reach the gates before the car got to him. But how could he know?  
  
Ten feet, seven, five, two, and finally, it happened. Inside the car, the driver lost control, and his vehicle shot towards the sidewalk. The man hadn't even seen Day walking there, and, oh God, he was going to hit him...  
  
Day froze, the nose of the car coming dangerously and quickly towards him. There was no time, he couldn't move, and his power couldn't help him. He was going to be crushed against the wall, he could die, he flattened himself against the wall in a feeble attempt to save himself.  
  
Across the street, Masque leapt out from behind her tree, running towards the street. She thrust out her arms, hands furled like they were pulling strings, and reached with all the might of her power into the car and into the man's mind. She took control, making him grab the wheel and turn it so hard he was sure his arm would break. Still conscious, he could see every movement she made him take, but he couldn't stop her. Day shut his eyes, shouting, as the car passed him. He wasn't dead.  
  
But it wasn't over. As it passed, the front of the car grazed his right leg, and the speed was enough to do some damage. There was a crack, and he fell to the ground, clutching the new wound and trying not to scream. It hurt so much, it must be broken.  
  
Now having run into the street herself, Masque veered the car back on force, and let go of the driver's will. He swerved again, having not expected it, then stopped and leaned out the window to look in horror at what he had done. Unsure of what to do, and panicking, he revved the engine and floored it, speeding away from the two figures behind him.  
  
The girl shot daggers at him with her eyes as he fled, unable to yell for him to 'get his ass back there', or something. She turned her gaze to the young man, confident that she had saved him. He was curled up on the sidewalk, hurt, but still alive. She had done what she was supposed to do. She could rest now.  
  
Still, she walked towards him, knowing he'd need help home.  
  
Before she could get to him, though, she heard a mass of footsteps, and soon a group of teenagers clad in black and X's rounded the corner. They skidded to a stop, seeing her, seeing him, then one of them gave a sort of jerk and screamed.  
  
"Day!!!" Ignoring the others, Willow rushed forward, dropping to her knees at her brother's side. "Oh Goddess, Day, what happened?"  
  
He tried to smile up at her, wincing through the pain. "Rosie...oh, car, got my leg...ow."  
  
Masque was aware that the rest of the group was staring at her, but she ignored them too, her own eyes fixed on the small girl who had flown to help the boy. The matching color of their hair and features spoke volumes, but somehow, she felt she knew anyway. She was his sister, and as she watched the rain pour through the girl's hair and on her form, she realized something else.  
  
She was beautiful.  
  
A shout got her attention, and she jerked her eyes away from the young woman. Another boy had taken a few tentative steps towards her, and his expression belied his confusion and assumed anger.  
  
"What happened?" Iceman demanded again.  
  
She stared back at him sadly, unable, at the moment to communicate back. Absentmindedly she touched the scar across her throat, right over where her vocal cords should have been, and she wished beyond all things that she could speak. But she couldn't and she knew what was going to happen next.  
  
"Did she make the car hit Day?" Multiple guessed, speaking loud enough to make everyone else hear him.  
  
"She must have!" Cannonball concluded for him. "Nobody would have been stupid enough to go fast enough to hit him in this rain."  
  
"Wolfsbane, can you tell if she's a mutant?" Iceman asked.  
  
"Nay, I cannot," the short Scott replied. "I could sniff her out, thou, if ye'd like."  
  
He didn't laugh.  
  
"Day, what happened?" Magma asked, walking over to where he lay and Willow knelt.  
  
He tried to move to look at her, then winced again, and decided it would be better just to answer her from there. "I was just walking," he said with some effort, "and the car came along, really fast, then all of a sudden it shot at me, and she appeared, and it almost got me, just my leg instead, and she kept coming at me after it had gone." His face filled with confusion, obviously he didn't know if she was to blame either.  
  
"Good enough for me," Boom boom growled, filling her hands with time-bombs. Before anyone could stop her, she hurled them down the street at their 'enemy.' A few of them exploded at her feet, or next to her, narrowly missing her. Masque didn't need another warning. She wasn't one to let herself be bullied, not anymore, but she didn't want to fight these people. She turned on her heel and ran, her coat flailing out behind her.  
  
"Wait!" Magma shouted behind her, thinking that they had got it all wrong somehow. Now out of their range, the girl allowed herself to stop, and turned, watching them closely and adjusting the strap on her bag.  
  
It was then that Willow allowed herself to look at her for the first time, and their eyes met. She barely saw the scars on the girl's pale skin, or her short blue hair, once she had locked their gazes all she could see was the starling oakish brown hidden there. Looking in her eyes, she knew, deep down, that it wasn't her fault; she hadn't caused the accident that had injured her brother. But there was no one else around who could be responsible, and responsible as she was, the childish part of her yearned for someone to blame. The two sides, truth and blame warred within her, and still she couldn't look away.  
  
Magma looked down at her, then over at Iceman, belaying to him without words that she didn't know what to do. Unsure himself, Iceman looked at Cannonball, who thought for a moment, and then shrugged in defeat. Turning her attention back to her other friends, Magma reached out hesitantly and touched Willow's shoulder. Day watched her out of the corner of his eye, unsure she should.  
  
"...Rosaline?"  
  
Hearing her name, Willow broke the contact with the strange girl, and looked up. Magma stared at her confused and concernedly, and she returned the look, then snapped her head back to try and call the girl back.  
  
But she was too late. Masque was gone.  
  
Down the street, Wanda stood in the entrance to the cemetery, leaning against the iron gate. She looked at the group, then stared after where the girl had run, feeling twice as confused as they.

* * *

Author's note: Hey everyone, sorry this took a few days. Now that I'm back in the Harry Potter fandom too, I've been a bit distracted. Anyway, hope you liked this chapter. I don't know how much damage a car can do when its going fast and only grazes somebody, but for dramatic effect we'll say it can break legs In case anyone was wondering, the driver was influenced by some sort of drug, which is why he was so slack to respond to, uh, anything. And so we have the official introduction of Masque, and now you know what she'd doing here. More to come next chapter, there's still some things to wrap up this evening. And a certain talk that needs to be had. Rurouni Tyriel - You didn't connect therapy with Day's power before that? Wow, dense, boy. huggles Hehe, you know I luv ya. Anyway, glad you liked, and hope this didn't disappoint either hands you a cookie anyway  
  
DemonRogue13 – Glad you liked the talk, I love that myth too. I actually stole it from Hedwig and the Angry Inch, but shush, no one needs to know...or something. Also glad you enjoy the Tabby/Amara suspension, that will all come to an end soon. Mwahaha   
  
IrishTomboy06 – Nice job hands you a cookie regretfully, that is what happened, but she's dealing with it, and soon someone will come along to help her get over it entirely. Day would, but she won't let him use his powers to change it. Thank you for enjoying the talks, I had a lot of fun with them. Its fun when chapters just kinda write themselves.  
  
Bren – Hehehehe, thank you   
  
NctrnlBst – You will not have to wait much longer for the conclusion of the Tabby/Amara inability to converse. And trust me, its gonna kick. Hope you liked this too, even though it put that off. But these were important plot points. Stay tuned   
  
Freakyicefairy – Interesting? Well, I try. And like I could ever leave my Rosie alone and loveless, hehehehe. How this update was fast enough for you too, if not, don't hold it against me. You said you'd keep reading anyway 


	5. They Kiss

Triangle  
  
By Lady Comet  
  
Disclaimer: I own only my own brainchildren. Everything else I'm just borrowing and bending to my will

* * *

* * *

Triangle Part 5 – They Kiss  
  
The walk home was difficult, and very, very silent. Day lumbered along, propped up between his sister and Wanda, who had insisted on helping even though most everyone didn't trust her to. Rosaline, however, had no problems with her doing so. No one spoke, each one of them considering on their own what had just happened. The fast disappearance of Day's "attacker" had left many things a mystery, things that they needed to know if any sense was to be made of the incident. Even Day himself didn't know what had happened, and he was the one it happened to.  
  
By the time they all reached the mansion again, they had wordlessly concluded that the Professor would know what to do, and he would make it all right.  
  
Rahne bounded through the doors first, yelling for the Professor, or Beast or Storm, or anyone to come help them. Rosaline saw her brother wince as they took him up the steps, and she exchanged a look with Wanda, though neither of them said anything. Everyone else likewise kept their mouths shut. Tabitha chanced a glance at Amara, but the girl wasn't looking her way, instead she was trying to see if she could help at all. She tried hard not to smile, it was just like her to ignore that there was nothing she could do and try to make a difference anyway. It showed part of the leader she was raised to be.  
  
Moments later Hank came knuckling down the stairs, his eyes widening at Day's misshapen, bleeding leg.  
  
"What happened?" he asked, taking the boy from his twin and his date.  
  
"We're, uh, not sure," Sam admitted, scratching the back of his head. He looked over at Day, but he was concentrating too much on ignoring the pain to be of any help.  
  
Hank's lip thinned, set firm in determination. "Well, let's get him to the med ward first, then we can sort this out." His eyes traveled over the group of them, settling on Wanda in mild surprise. "Oh, Miss Maximoff... what are you doing here?"  
  
"He was on his way to meet me," she answered coldly. "If my being here is a problem, I can leave."  
  
"It isn't," came a voice from the left, and they all turned to see Professor Xavier rolling towards them. Some of them visibly relaxed. He smiled at Wanda. "You know you are welcome here anytime you need."  
  
She nodded, but looked confused.  
  
"We need to set his break, Professor, before there are any more questions," Hank insisted, edging towards the hallway that would take them to the elevator.  
  
"Yes of course," the older man answered, changing his direction to follow him. "Rosaline, Wanda, come with us. Everyone else, you're free to go for now. I'll call you if you're needed."  
  
As the five of them headed off to the infirmary, the new recruits headed up the stairs, finally allowing themselves to ask things of each other.  
  
"Why would he need to call us back?" Jamie asked, still the youngest and still semi-oblivious at times.  
  
"To ask us what we saw, genius," Roberto teased back.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Who was that girl?" Rahne wondered, looking around at her friends.  
  
"I don't know, Rahnie," Sam answered her, not noticing that she blushed at his use of her nickname, "but she looked horrible. All those scars...."  
  
"And was he actually going to meet that witch freak?" Jubilee cut in, looking disgusted.  
  
"She's not that horrible," Tabitha told her, hoping this wasn't going to lead into dissing her as a Brotherhood girl. After all, she had been one of them too, for a while.  
  
The short Asian 'hmph'd at her, flipping her raven hair over her shoulder. "Well, she's tacky enough anyway. And has bad taste."  
  
Rather than say anything back to her, the blonde glanced over at Amara, and finally caught her eye. Without exchanging words they both artfully drifted to the back of the group, slowly lagging behind the others. They didn't talk then either, just walked in silence. The group of them finally reached their stretch of hall, each of them going into their rooms to change, some to go shower, too.  
  
Tabitha shut the door behind her, painfully aware of Amara sitting on her bed, staring at her. She turned and leaned against it to return her gaze, feeling more awkward than she ever had in her life.  
  
"Still up to talking?" she quested.  
  
"Of course," Amara answered, the words rushing out of her mouth without hesitation. She blushed, and her roommate smiled.  
  
They'd get through this. But still, they'd better change first.

* * *

It only took a moment to set Day's broken leg, which was all that was wrong, thankfully. They didn't have the ability to put a cast on it there in the mansion, so until morning he'd have to make do with what they could. Dr. McCoy had insisted he stay in the Infirmary for the night, though, so there he lay. His black clothes contrasted sharply with the crisp white sheets, making him look even paler. Rosaline, still in her uniform, sat on the end of the bed, and Wanda leaned against the wall facing them.  
  
"I'm all right, really," the boy insisted as his twin fussed over him.  
  
"Mom would kill me if I didn't make sure you were comfortable, brother dear," she replied, standing to attempt to fluff his pillows. "So just shut up and deal, okay?"  
  
His stared at her for a moment, mildly shocked at her anger. "...All right. Geez. Don't have a heart attack over it."  
  
Sighing, she sank back down onto the bed. "I'm sorry...its just, goddess, what happened out there?"  
  
Inside, his mind reached back into the events of the night, and his eyes stared into space of their own accord. "I don't know, really," he told her. For a moment his gaze settled on Wanda, who just stared back at him intently, and soon he looked away. "I mean, I was walking to the cemetery, and I must have been zoning out or something cause next thing I knew I saw the car and before I could do anything about it it swerved and almost hit me. Well, it did hit me, but not like I thought it was going to." He turned to look at his sister. "And then that girl stepped out into the road, like she had been standing there watching the whole time, and the car sped away."  
  
Rosaline nodded, recalling the girl herself. Her being there had been suspicious, but there was something about her that she couldn't shake off.  
  
"She just appeared after you got hit?" Wanda asked, joining the conversation.  
  
Day nodded, meeting her eyes again. "Yeah. And, well, my power was kinda blocked by the humongous searing pain, but I got the feeling that she had something to do with the car."  
  
"What do you mean?" Rosie forced out.  
  
He shrugged. "I'm not sure; really, it's just that if she had been watching in the shadows the whole time only to reveal herself after the car hit, what was she doing? It's just..."  
  
"...Suspicious," the crimson girl finished for him.  
  
He opened his mouth to agree with her, but the look on her face betrayed that she didn't agree with him. Obviously she thought he meant the girl had been there to harm him, perhaps, and she did not think that was the case.  
  
Instead, he turned his head again, feeling a strange surge of emotion from his smaller twin. Rosaline had a wistful look on her delicate features, as if she was in another world. Against his better judgment, he quested into her mind. His powers were at the point now that he could do so without her knowing, and now this was very, very fortunate, cause if she knew what he was seeing through her heart she would have killed him. The image of the girl, right before she fled, was stuck in her mind like a bad tattoo, his sister weaving feelings around her of denied desire and uncertainty, and almost forced hate since she may have been the reason her brother was almost killed.  
  
Day pulled out, seeing that, trying his best to appear as if he hadn't seen anything. Luckily, she didn't notice.  
  
He felt himself being watched, and turned again to lock gazes with Wanda, who had noticed. He just smiled awkwardly at her, but didn't say anything. She smiled back, deciding to pretend that she hadn't.  
  
"Sorry about our date, Wanda," he finally said.  
  
"Its all right, Day," she replied, a smirk crossing her red lips. "You just owe me a walk in the cemetery, okay?"  
  
"Deal."  
  
She looked around her then, almost nervously, and he watched a shiver run through her body. She wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing her exposed skin as if she was cold. "I'd better go," she forced out, stepping away from the wall. Her eyes still darted around, focusing especially on the medical instruments around them.  
  
Curious as to her sudden change in attitude, and already tempted by using his power before, he reached out to brush against her feelings. He hadn't intended to go very deep, only to see better what she was freaking out about inside. But instead of the light touch he wanted, images started to fill his brain, grabbing onto his hold from her subconscious and flowing into him. He felt rage and immense fear, mixed with images of white walls and cruel doctors, who had made her life hell and made her hurt.  
  
"What are you doing?" shouted Rosaline, suddenly, and it wasn't until then that he realized he was struggling to get out of bed. At her words, he lost what balance he had, and fell on the floor.  
  
"Ow," he moaned, noting the pain in his shoulder now. His sister rushed to help him, and as she tried to lift him, he looked at Wanda again. She did not move to help him, but her eyes locked with his, and she looked angry. His unexpected depth must have wiped away his ability to hide himself, and she knew. He didn't have to try again to know that he had gone too far.  
  
As Rosaline helped him back into bed, she headed for the door, stopping to whirl back around and glare at him one more time. He stared back at her pathetically, and she sighed. "...Night," she forced out, mostly a formality, then stormed off in her rage.  
  
"Wanda!" he called after her, sitting back up. His sister gently pushed him back against the pillows.  
  
"You can't follow her, Day," she noted. "What did you do, anyway?"  
  
"Nothing," he insisted. "I mean, I thought it was nothing..."  
  
She turned to study the doorway, as if looking at it would rewind events. "Hmmm... well, whatever you did, looks like she's pissed."  
  
"Yeah," he said numbly. But his thoughts still lingered on what he had felt from her, and the terrible images of white walls she hid inside herself.

* * *

Tabitha closed the door again, turning to stick her toothbrush back on her dresser. She was all changed now, in her magenta and blue pajama pants and tank top, both pieces of which were tight enough to leave little to the imagination. Amara had gone to get ready first, so she was already waiting, sitting cross-legged on her bed. The blonde looked her over, noting how she had pulled her red nightgown over her knees to hide herself and how the top of it scooped low enough to be just tempting enough. She pushed these thoughts from her mind, however, and sat down across from her on her own bed.  
  
"So," she said, not sure where to start.  
  
"So," her roommate repeated, also unsure.  
  
Without willing them to, the events of their fight in the alleyway washed over Tabby's mind, making her recall every word. Especially what was said last. Her eyes met Amara's, and they just stared for a moment, the silence still ruling them.  
  
"'Mara," she finally started, "when you said 'yes', you meant..."  
  
"I meant every word and more, Tabitha," the Nova Roman princess answered, swinging her bronzed legs over the side of her bed and leaning forward tantalizingly. "You have no idea how much I...well, you know, I thought it was obvious."  
  
"I guess I'm oblivious," she replied. "I didn't know you, well, liked girls that way."  
  
"This isn't about girls, Tabitha. It's about us. I –"  
  
Tabby's hand shot up to stop her, hovering in the air between them like a silent barrier. She knew what she was going to say, and she knew also that hearing it now would just make it harder. "Please don't say it," she whispered, lifting her gaze to meet the hurt on Amara's face. But she wouldn't apologize now, even though she had hurt her. "Don't. Not yet. I, I'm not ready." She let her hand drop, then looked at the floor, going on. "I feel the same way you do, 'Mara, believe me. I'm just...scared."  
  
Amara sat back, using her unerring gaze to force her friend's eyes to hers again. "Scared of what?"  
  
The blonde bombshell before her had never felt more bared and vulnerable, though she would never know it. Tabby sat up, fumbling desperately for words. "...Of getting hurt," she finally admitted.  
  
Silence fell between them again then, and Tabitha leaned her elbows on her knees, her head sagging on her shoulders to face the floor. This was going horribly. She should be taking this woman into her arms and telling her the truth, that she loved her, finally doing what she had dreamed of for months. But she couldn't, the walls of her fear that had been so recently known to her were blocking every part of it.  
  
There was a sudden rustling of fabric, and she felt the weight on her bed shift. She looked up and found Amara next to her, sitting on her bed, so close they were almost touching. She didn't look angry anymore, just concerned, and her brown eyes were brimmed with tears.  
  
Her hand lifted gingerly to brush the side of her face, darker skin on lightly tanned peach.  
  
"I would never hurt you," the princess told her, her voice unwavering.  
  
"I know," the other replied, "its just, well...before I met you, I didn't believe in love at all. My parents were supposed to have been in love, and look what it did to them. It never worked and only caused them pain and that's all I had to learn from." She raised her own hand again, to hold Amara's where it touched her face. "But then I came here, and I met you, and you made me feel like, like....like everything was all of a sudden right in the world and despite what I knew what I was feeling wasn't wrong at all. And it's got me all messed up inside."  
  
The noble girl beside her pursed her lips, an expression she knew meant she was thinking. Torturous moments passed, probably only seconds, then finally her mouth broke into a genuine smile. She nodded her pretty head, and moved her hand to entwine their fingers, resting their joined hands on the mattress beside them.  
  
"If this is how you need it, we'll take it slow," she told her. "As long as you're sure this is what you want."  
  
Instinctively and without second guessing herself, Tabitha took a risk and leaned forward, pressing her lips against Amara's firmly. It lasted only a second, for she pulled back quickly, grinning at her girlfriend with sparks in her blue eyes.  
  
"Oh I'm sure," she said.  
  
Amara's face lit into a grin that fully matched Tabitha's, and she edged closer, their bodies now pressed tight together. "Good," she replied, and reached to tangle her fingers in her blonde hair and pull her back into her kiss.  
  
Tabitha had kissed many boys before, in play and attempt to get what she wanted from them. Their kissed had been hard and rough, forced, their bodies conquering hers and the contact only serving what they wanted. Some of them felt as if she were kissing their teeth, and some covered her mouth completely until she was sure they'd suck on her nose. It had never felt good or right.  
  
This was different. Amara was soft, and melted against her like candy, tasting even better. She felt her head spin and the whole world became Amara, there was nothing else and there never would be. They merged and felt like one, the kiss deepening until they were both sure that if they parted they would die. It was like nothing they had ever felt, and amazing beyond their wildest dreams.  
  
It was like heaven.

* * *

Across town, in the complete dark of the Bayville streets, a single figure bolted through the rain. 'Rain' now meant downpour, and she was soaked, her clothes stuck to her body by the water. She was sure everything in her bag was wet too, but she couldn't stop to check. It was all she could do to keep going.  
  
The hotel was out of the question, her last night had been the previous one, otherwise she wouldn't have taken all her things with her. She didn't have the money for another one, and she had nowhere else to go. Before everything had happened, she thought of the mansion she had seen, the one she was sure that boy was living in. Somehow she knew it was a school, and she entertained hopes of going there and being accepted and actually belong somewhere. But now it was useless, they thought she had caused him harm, they would never take her in.  
  
And she would never see that girl again.  
  
She hadn't been watching where she was going, and suddenly felt her foot catch on a root or a rock, and she fell. Muddy earth met her, and she realized she was in the outskirts, lost in some woods she had no idea of.  
  
At a loss for what else to do, Masque started to cry.  
  
Inside her mind she screamed, unable to make real sound, and she tore at the ground with her fingers and pounded it with her fists. Everything had gone wrong, nothing was ever right. She had never had a home, she would never have a home, she might as well just lay here and die for all anyone cared.  
  
After a while she stopped her fit, and indeed did lie there, panting for breath, unsure whether the wetness on her face was the rain or her tears. It was hopeless; the card she had been dealt in life was obviously to suffer. Who was she to hope for more?  
  
Idly she turned her head, and a flicker or light caught her eye. No, not a flicker, something steady. She pushed herself up onto her knees, staring at it more intently. It didn't look like firelight; it was something artificial, like it was coming from...a house.  
  
Forcing her body back into willingness, she stood, and pushed her way through the brush towards the light. It wasn't long before she came upon a road, and across that road, there was a house. A run down, old-looking house with several lights in the windows. Not bothering to check for coming cars, she crossed the street, stopping herself in front of a sign that sat beside the driveway. She read the sign to herself, mouthing the words.  
  
The Brotherhood of Bayville Boarding House.  
  
Newly determined, she turned and started down the driveway. She would not be turned away again, no matter what.

* * *

* * *

Author's note: Hey everyone. Sorry this took so long to get out, I've been having some serious personal issues and things have been, er, insane. I'll try to do better; I want to have this done before I go back to college, seriously. Anyway, hoped you liked. The main core of this chapter was supposed to be the Tabby/Amara scene... but somehow it didn't turn out that long so yeah, oops ;;;; I'd have you guess what's going to happen next, but I think the following events are pretty obvious. The immediate ones anyway. Soooo please review and stay tuned for the rest   
  
DemonRogue13 – Yeah, Masque's introduction was better here, not just 'ooh look, here's a random new girl for the Brotherhood. Uh, yeah' like last time. And due to recent plotting, she gets an even bigger role in this rewrite. Mwahahaha. And I hope the Tabby/Amara scene made the suspension worth it   
  
Rurouni Tyriel – The driver being on a cell phone would have worked too, but I figure eh, drugs work. Hope you liked this chapter as much as the last, even though it took forever and a half to get out. But here it is, complete with the conclusion of the Tabbymara angst. Huzzah! Hope you'll stay tuned even though you know things other readers don't, dear. Hehe.  
  
IrishTomboy06 – Yeah, poor Rosie and Masque indeed. But do not worry, they will have the chance to get their side of the story straight, er, 'straight' soon enough. And as you know, I'm a sucker for happy endings, so they will have one   
  
Freakyicefairy – Masque will indeed have to work hard to make everyone realize she didn't do it, but she will be able to let the truth out soon. Not gonna tell you how though, you'll have to read and find out Glad you're enjoying it, and hope this chapter didn't disappoint either. 


	6. They Feel

Triangle

By Lady Comet

Disclaimer: I own only my own brainchildren. Everything else I'm just borrowing and bending to my will

* * *

* * *

Triangle

Part 6 – They Feel

Morning broke, pouring warm sunlight through the windows of Xavier's mansion. It didn't reach the side of the building with the students' rooms until near noon, and still at that, few woke to its touch. One student, however, did feel the warmth against her skin and stirred, unused to the feeling. Her bed was near the closet, not the window; she shouldn't have gotten any sun at all.

Tabitha opened her eyes slowly, blinked once, then gasped and forced herself upright. She was in Amara's bed, with Amara, though they were both clothed and decent. At her movement, Amara scrunched up her face a bit and wriggled closer, tightening her arms around her midsection. She remembered then, and smiled, sliding back down to rest on her elbow and watch the girl beside her sleep. She thought all of a sudden that she could have stayed like that forever, finally resting in her princess' arms and just looking upon her like that. Inside she laughed, knowing it wasn't her usual self, but it was true. Amara made her feel all that stupid romantic stuff she mocked everyone else for.

Only moments later, the brown girl moved again, smiling without opening her own eyes. "Morning," she whispered.

"Uh huh," Tabby replied eloquently, and reached over to run a hand through her hair. "I didn't think you were awake."

"I wasn't." Her eyes cracked open then, mahogany meeting sky blue. "But my pillow disappeared."

She grinned back. "Yeah, sorry. I was a little confused."

For a moment, fear dashed across the Nova Roman's face, and her companion knew what she was going to say before she even opened her mouth. "...You don't regret it, do you?"

"Regret what? We didn't do anything."

"You know what I mean, Tabitha."

The blonde bombshell leaned in and planted a sweet kiss on her love's lips, and that was all the answer she needed. For a moment they lost themselves in each other again, forgetting that it was Sunday and they really had things they should be doing rather than laying in bed making out. But as they finally felt what it was to be together, after months of silent longing, they wordlessly conceded that it was late.

Eventually, though, there was a thunder of footsteps outside the room and they jumped apart as if discovered. Amara almost fell out of bed, but Tabitha caught her, and they turned to stare at the door.

"Sounds like Jamie's awake," Amara guessed. "All twelve of him."

Tabby smirked. "Yeah. Good thing I locked the door."

"Do you think they're ready to know about us?" her girl asked, edging closer to her again.

"Honestly?" she asked back, and she nodded. "No. I mean, I want to be open about us, but I don't know how they see....stuff like this."

"Mmm," replied the woman in her arms. "...Tabitha, I don't want to have to worry about that yet." She leaned in closer, so close their bodies were again pressed together and their noses touched. Despite herself, Tabby blushed, and she blushed back. "I want to just be with you, together, like I've dreamed of. Nothing else should matter."

Her girlfriend nodded her head lightly, and unable to resist, leaned in to kiss her again. "Nothing else will. I promise."

"Good," she smiled, and let herself fall back against her pillows. After a moment she let out a disappointed groan, however, and covered her face with her hands. "I forgot, I have to write that essay for World History."

"Dammit," Tabby cursed. "And here I was planning all these romantic things to do with you today."

Amara laughed shortly, spreading her fingers to peer at the girl leaning over her. "You were not."

"....Okay no, but I could have been."

She sat back up, rearranging herself so that the yellow-haired beauty was now practically lying in her lap. "You know, you have homework to do too."

"Probably."

"We both have things to do today."

"Yeah."

"So we should probably get up."

"I know."

The princess shook her head, her duty to finish her work now throbbing against her mind, no matter how much she wanted to stay like this. "Really, Tabitha, we should at least go have breakfast. For starters."

"But we both know I'm not going to do my homework," she pouted. "So why even get up? I bet the kitchen's packed and cramped anyway, we don't want to go in there."

Shaking her head again, Amara leaned in again for a kiss, forcing the slightly larger girl to sit up. She ended it rather quickly, to both their dismay, and forced herself to get out of bed. "Come on," she urged her companion, reaching to pull her out of bed too.

Tabitha let herself be taken from the bed, begrudgingly, and stopped to stretch as Amara went to her dresser and sorted through her clothes. For a while again she just watched her, still marveling at the fact that what she had wanted had finally happened and the two of them were together at last.

After a while she caught her staring, of course, and did her best to frown. "Tabby, we really should get dressed."

She sighed. "I know."

Thinking, the heir to Nova Roma bit her lip, then put down her clothes and crossed the room to wrap her arms again around her lover. Tabitha returned the embrace, though they didn't kiss, and Amara smiled up at her.

"How's this," she proposed, "you actually make an effort to get on with the day and not mope about not getting 'us' time, and I promise we'll have 'us' time later."

A grin parted her lips, and she nodded. "Deal."

"Good," she smiled back, dancing out of her touch and back to getting ready. "Now hurry up, I want to get to the showers before Rahne does and clogs it up with fur."

* * *

It was too early, Wanda told herself as she staggered out of her room and down the stairs. The fact that she had no idea what time it was did not matter. She felt like she hadn't slept at all, so no matter what, it would still be too early.

Try as she had to sleep, she hadn't been able to. Her mind wouldn't shut up, over and over the events of the previous night replayed like a bad home movie. And aside from that, something tugged at her brain, undoubtedly whatever Day had managed to pull out of there when he used his power on her. Stupid bastard. She gripped the wall to steady herself and sighed. No matter how pissed she was at him, she was still worried about him. And truth be told, that more than anything else had kept her awake.

Shaking off every memory of him that forced itself to her recollection; she stepped on the firm ground and turned the corner to go into the kitchen. She'd make some coffee, maybe eat something. That should make her feel better.

She pushed open the door, taking a step in, then stopped cold.

Masque looked up at her blankly from the kitchen table, where she sat with a bowl of cereal. Her posture was guarded, but she said nothing, just returning the gaze Wanda had laid on her upon entering. Not breaking it, the crimson goth stepped in further and headed for the fridge.

She had almost forgotten. When she got back the previous night, she found the house fuller. No one was awake to tell her when she got here, no one useful anyway. Pietro had come to her yelling, and explained what happened, that she had shown up all run down and with no where to go. And before she could reply, he had pulled her aside and explained, in a whisper that Masque couldn't hear, that any member of the team would be valuable and welcome according to their father. Too tired to start a real fight she had just gone to bed. Not that that had done any good. Maybe part of her had been hoping that she'd wake up and it would have been a dream, or something, and she wouldn't have to deal with it. But no, here sat the girl who might have attacked the one boy who was worthy of her interest.

Forcing down a growl, she grabbed the coffee grounds from the back of the top shelf and proceeded to go on her way.

Masque sat in silence, watching her every move through bites of her breakfast. Neither of them bothered saying anything, though Wanda had to try very hard not to be angered by the feeling of eyes upon her form. After far too long a time she finished, and turned around, leaning against the counter as the coffee brewed behind her.

Their eyes met, and they regarded each other with suspicion, almost daring the other to make a move. At least, that's how the Scarlet Witch felt it was. The longer their contact lasted; however, she began to feel that she was being ridiculous. There was no proof yet that this girl had done anyone harm, and the likelihood that she would attack her over breakfast was even less. Sighing, she relaxed her posture, and forced a placid look onto her face.

"This is stupid," she said, more to herself, and turned around to grab a pop tart from the cabinet behind her. That done, she sat down at the table across from the new girl.

Masque, still slowly eating her cereal, said nothing.

At that point Wanda had no idea why she was talking, knowing that this girl obviously didn't want her conversation. But she kept going anyway. "So...Masque. Why are you here?"

The girl just stared at her.

"That was a question. It usually merits an answer."

Instead of opening up and actually saying something, as was desired, the blue-haired young woman simply shook her head. Putting down her spoon, she tilted back her head, exposing her neck. Her fingers found their way to a scar there, and she pointed to it. It was very long, slicing clear across where her vocal cords were supposed to be. There were other scars too, all over her neck and face. They reach down into her black turtleneck, which covered her skin, and more peeked out onto her exposed hands.

Feeling quite idiotic, Wanda put two and two together, and nodded her own head. Of course the girl couldn't speak. She didn't have a voice anymore.

Silently, Masque lowered her face again and went back to eating her breakfast.

Wanda got up, hearing that the coffee was finished brewing. She was relieved for the excuse to turn her back on her companion, and gather her thoughts. All the scars Masque bore belied a past that should probably be left alone, and admittedly, she didn't feel like bothering her about it. But she still wanted to know what really happened, and despite this new complication, she resolved even more strongly to find out.

As she turned around, cup of steaming liquid in hand, the door opened again and in walked the Blob. Toad hopped in after him, and all of a sudden the small room felt even smaller. Seeing his lady love, Toad made his way over to her, jumping up to crouch on the counter as he rummaged for food.

"Morning my baby cakes," he grinned, baring all of his yellow teeth.

She grimaced, moving a step away from him and not bothering to answer.

"Good morning," Freddy chimed too, heading straight for the fridge. As he passed Masque, still sitting at the table, he blushed faintly and smiled. "Hi."

She smiled faintly back, and sank into her chair, obviously not liking the increase in company.

As Toad continued to try and fawn over her, Wanda growled in exasperation, and started towards the door. She was still too tired to blast him out the window, and too tired to even deal with that many people. She'd take her breakfast in her room.

Passing the door to the living room, she heard the sound of talking, and doubled back to take a quick look inside. Her brother sat on the couch, legs propped up on the table in front of him, chatting rather seriously on the cordless phone. As she stood there he looked up and saw her, and ended the conversation hurriedly, speaking low so she couldn't hear his words. That done, he put the phone down, and stood up to face her.

"Can I help you?" he demanded annoyedly.

"Who were you talking to?" she replied coldly.

He planted his hands firmly on his hips. "Noneofyourbusiness."

She did the same, careful to keep her drink level. "I'm your twin. It's my business."

Pietro crossed the room, his every moved lined with anger, and stood in front of her. They stared each other down, neither budging. For a moment it seemed like he would retort, and they would start fighting again.

But instead, he just smiled, raised a hand to pat her on the shoulder, and walked around her. As he went, he looked over his shoulder, and smirked, "It doesn't matter, you'll find out soon enough." She turned and watched him, and he stopped on the stairs to address her one last time. "Oh, and we're going to have visitors soon. Stay sharp." Then, before she could reply, he sped up and into his room, slamming the door behind him.

Wanda frowned, taking a sip of her coffee, and then started back on her way.

* * *

The day passed, nothing exciting happening at the school that Xavier built. Most everyone was consumed with homework they had avoided until now, and thus busy, which made for a rather quiet and peaceful day. Those that didn't have a lot of work were practically kidnapped by Logan for training, and thus weren't able to cause any form of trouble. Eventually dinnertime rolled around, and everyone gathered to stuff their faces before going back to their work. Some, by this point, were actually done, and as training on Sunday evenings was usually forbidden they had the opportunity to relax.

Rosaline was not one of them. As soon as she was done eating, she shut herself in her room, determined to finish her math homework and get it right. She hated the subject with a burning fiery passion, but it didn't mean she didn't want to do her best. She might as well give it a try before giving up entirely.

Sitting at her desk, she felt the evening turn into night, and realized she still was only three quarters of the way through. Her brain felt like it was leaking through her ears, and more than anything she wanted to give up.

But before she could even decide that, her body suddenly went rigid, and the pencil dropped from her fingers. She tried to look down to watch it fall and pick it up, but she couldn't move. Not even her eyes moved of their own world. Inside herself, she panicked. What was happening? Locked inside herself she was forced to watch as her body stood up, abandoning her homework, and turned around, taking in the room. Her eyes darted to the floor, and lay finally upon her sandals. Stiffly she walked across the room, sliding them onto her bare feet. Inside she screamed, pushing with all her might to try and get her control back, afraid of what was happening. She tried to call with her mind for the Professor, but found herself shut out. Whatever was doing this to her had made sure she could do nothing about it. Still fighting, she watched as her suddenly independent form went to her closet, pulling out her green cloak, which lay on the hook closest to her. She then headed for the door, but stopped, and turned around again; scanning the room for something she had no idea of. Whatever moved her must have seen it, cause she stepped back in, and slipped it into her cloak pocket. In her panic, it took her a moment to realize what it was.

Her cell phone.

Thus armed, her body turned back around and opened her door, swinging the cloak around and fastening it on as she went. Somehow they ran into no one, and got to the front door unchecked, opening it and walking into the cold night. Rosaline felt the chill run through her body, but she still could do nothing, and had to lay inside herself in fear. She watched herself leave the safety of the Institute grounds and enter the small city, walking along the sidewalk and down a few side streets. It was a more residential area, thus far, so she shouldn't have felt in such danger. However, all rationality had fled from her, and she really felt like she was walking to her death. A few times she feebly tried to take control again, but always ran into a wall, and eventually she just gave up.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, she entered a very dark alleyway. About halfway down it she could see a figure, hidden in shadow, standing and moving their arms and hands and fingers in twitches. Somehow she knew this was what held sway over her, and her panic was renewed. The figure drew her closer, until they were less than five feet from each other, but still remained so that she could not make out who it was. Then suddenly the hold on her was dropped, and she staggered, feeling herself flow back into her limbs again.

Breathing hard, she flexed her hands to make sure she was all right, and looked up to face who had captured her. The figure stepped out of the shadow; into the dim light they were provided, revealing a long black coat over jeans and a black turtleneck, covering a body covered in scars.

"You?!" she gasped.

Masque nodded, her expression emotionless.

Waves of conflicting emotions rolled through Rosaline's body then, seeing her, and she forgot the ridiculousness of her standing in an alleyway in her nightgown and a cloak and the fear she had initially felt. Whatever positive feelings she had gotten from their first meeting were crushed as she remembered what this girl may have done. All the fury she felt at that possibility renewed itself with this encounter. Part of her still wanted to flee, feeling that she was still in danger and the only way to survive was to run. But the stronger part of her fed on her anger, and she stood her ground, resolving to stay and face this woman with all the power she had.

"Who are you?" she screamed.

Unable to respond, her captor just stood there and stared at her.

Not discouraged by her silence, the plant witch kept going. "Why are you doing this?" she screamed again, this time not waiting for an answer. "You tried to kill my brother, now you kidnap me. Why?!"

Up until now, the scarred girl had only stared blankly at her, now her stare turned to ire. Specifically at the mention of her attempt on Day's life. Her eyebrows furrowed, and the line of her lips grew thin, but still she said nothing.

The tears that had throbbed unnoticed at the corners of her eyes started to spill down, and Rosaline closed them, wishing this were all some horrible nightmare. "Why?" she croaked again, her voice and determination broken. She was so scared. She was sure now that this woman had tried to kill her brother, and now she had used her powers, whatever they were, to drag her out here in the middle of the night, alone in a dark alley. She could only imagine the worst, and she couldn't even think how her own power would help her escape, with all the pavement covering the earth. She was going to die out here.

Her eyes snapped open again as she felt the soft, familiar pressure of lips on her own, and she saw that in her blindness the girl had moved to her and . . . kissed her? Before she could come to her senses and push her away, she had pulled back, still standing rather close to her. For a moment it seemed like it hadn't happened, that she had still been screaming and her captor hadn't moved at all. But the girl's face had changed; now it was nervous, and as her tongue darted across her lips quickly she knew it hadn't been a vision or a dream.

Rosaline absentmindedly raised a hand to press shaking fingers to her own lips, now thoroughly confused. It wasn't as if she had forced herself upon her, no, the kiss was more of a test to see what would happen, a riskful joining pulled away short just to see if it was all right. If she had put herself into that, then it wasn't likely that she wanted to hurt her after all.

Then what did she want?

Her answer came as Masque reached into her pocket, pulling out a folded up piece of paper, and reached to take her hand in hers. She pressed the note into her palm and closed her fingers around it, making a fist, then drew back. Nervously she smiled, then did a sort of bow to her, and moved to walk around her and out the alley. Rosaline, stunned, turned and watched her go, still staring after she had disappeared.

A moment later she thought of the paper pressed in her hand, and she held it up to her face, staring at its outside. Nothing was written on it, and as tempting as it was, she dare not open it and read it here. She remembered then that she was still in a dark, dangerous alleyway, and reached into her cloak to find the cell phone the girl had had her bring. Cautiously she dialed familiar numbers, and held it up to her ear, praying he could get to her soon.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the mansion, Day lay on his bed listening to the slow thud of the bass on his stereo. He had been moved back up here earlier that day, though his leg was still in a cast. Unfortunately, this meant he wasn't going to get out of school at all, and had to go tomorrow on crutches. He sighed, rolling over slightly to scratch an inch on his shoulder. At least he got out of PE.

He had been trying to fall asleep for two hours, and it wasn't working. It seemed that whenever he needed sleep the most, he couldn't get any, and now was no exception. Grumbling, he sat up, and with effort swung his legs over the side of the bed, reaching for his crutches.

His sister should still be doing her math homework. Maybe he'd see if she needed a break.

It took him frustratingly long to get to his door and out into the hallway, then just a door down to his destination. Mr. McCoy had told him he'd get used to it, but at the moment, all he could think of was how much it sucked. Grumbling, he knocked on his twin's door, ready for her annoyance at being interrupted.

Nothing happened.

"Rosie?" he called then, cautiously, as not to wake anyone else up.

Again, there was no answer.

Thinking she had probably fallen asleep at her desk, he tried the handle, and finding it unlocked he opened the door. Her light was still on, her work was still spread out on her desk and everything, but she was nowhere to be found.

"Sis...?" he said again, now getting a bit worried. With more effort he hobbled inside, and looked around further. Any chance that she had ducked behind her bed or was near the closet dissipated, she clearly wasn't here. And it looked like she hadn't been for a while.

He walked over to her desk, and noted with some amusement that she hadn't finished yet, turned back around to look over the room. Where could she have gone? His eyes scanned over all of it, looking for something out of the ordinary.

And he found it. Her sandals and her cloak were gone.

Knowing somehow for absolute certain that she had gone out, alone, his worry leapt to new heights. Hurrying as best he good, he went back to his room, collapsing onto his bed and reaching for the emergency cell phone Professor Xavier gave every student. He moved out of instinct, grabbing the piece of paper that rested beside it, and dialed the numbers at reckless speed. He worried he had dialed wrong, but stayed on the line anyway.

It rang at least 7 times before someone picked up. "Hello?"

It was a guy's voice, one he didn't recognize. "Um, hi, is Wanda there?"

Lance blinked a few times, holding the phone out to make sure he was still on it. Wanda? Who would be calling for Wanda?

"Hello?"

He pressed the phone back to his ear. "Yeah, sorry. Let me go get her."

"Thanks," said the supposedly male voice on the other end.

Taking the cordless with him, he left the living room and started up the stairs, knocking on Wanda's door loudly when he got there. He wasn't sure if she'd have heard, the music coming from inside shook the whole house, but moments later the door opened a crack and she peered out.

"Yes?"

He held out the receiver. "Phone for you."

Reaching a bare arm out to grab it, she gave him a look that said quite kindly 'Get lost' and closed the door. Sitting back down on her bed and shutting off the stereo next to her, she leaned it against her shoulder and went back to her book. "Hello?"

"Wanda?"

She frowned. "Day."

"Listen, Rosaline's missing. Can you come help me find her?"

She didn't know what she had been expecting, an apology maybe, you know, for prying opens her mind, but it certainly was not this. "Oh really? And here I thought you called to actually talk to me."

He sighed, whether in annoyance or desperation she couldn't tell. "How mad are you?"

"You don't want to get me started."

"Okay, Wanda, I promise we can talk later and I'll grovel like a monkey if you want, but I need your help. Please."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah? Why don't you just ask your Professor for help? I'm sure the X-men can find a lost girl."

There was a pause on his end, and the silence of his thought. ". . . I don't know," he said finally, honestly. "Maybe I just wanted to see you."

Inside her, compassion stirred despite her fury at him, and she let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine," she replied, making sure to sound venomous. "But I'm holding you to what you said. Especially the part about the monkey."

Unseen by her, he smiled. "Thank you."

"Meet you where?"

He thought. "Halfway between your place and my place is a huge dead tree, I think. Meet me there."

"I don't even want to know how you know that," she mused. "But all right. Give me half an hour."

"Sure. See you soon."

"Uh huh." She hung up the phone, and looked down at her current state of dress. She'd have to get ready fast.

How she got herself into these things was beyond her.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Day stood in front of the dead tree he mentioned, propped up uncomfortably on his crutches. Sneaking out of the mansion had been very difficult in his current state, but luck must have been with him. Either that or Logan must have been asleep. Now all he had to do was pray Wanda would show up early, or on time, anything but late, and he could find his sister.

Luckily, a mere five minutes passed before she showed up, her trench coat flowing out behind her in the wind. She looked annoyed, as he expected, but walked up to him without delay. Arms still crossed defiantly in front of her, she gave him a nod, complete with a distasteful glare.

"Hey."

He, however, did smile. "Thank you for coming."

She waved the comment away with a movement of her hand. "Whatever. Let's just do this."

"Okay." Tearing his gaze from her, he looked down the street, then started across it when he saw no danger coming. "I figured we could start in the area around the mansion, you know, the streets there, then work our way out if we don't find her."

"Or we could check places she might likely be," Wanda suggested icily. "She likes plants, right?"

"Er, yeah."

"Maybe she went to the city park or something. There are plants there."

It was his turn to frown. "I hope not. That's pretty far away."

The continued moving down the street, both of them looking around as they went for any sign of anyone having been here. "Can you use your power to check for her?" she asked after a while.

He shrugged. "I don't know. This place is pretty residential, there's people all over. I'd pick up their emotions first, and I don't know if I could single her out. I've never tried it before."

"Well try now," she insisted. "It might help."

Hoping she had a point with this, he stopped in his tracks, and closed his eyes. Focusing on what he new of his sister's emotional waves, he reached out this his power. Like he predicted, he was assaulted with feelings from everyone in the area, awake or not. Some felt boredom, being awake or unable to sleep; some were dreaming and feeling things through their subconscious. He waded into the pool of all of it, searching for his twin, but as far as his influence went he could not find her. At the end of his power, he drew back, staggering a bit as he came back to the real world.

Wanda reached out a hand to steady him, watching with mask concern as he recovered. "You okay?"

"I'm okay. Just haven't used my power on that big a level before," he explained, straightening back up as best he could. "She's not around here."

"Damn."

"Is there anything you can do with your powers to find her?"

After a second of thought, the young woman shook her head. "Not likely. I can shift probability and blast things, not find people."

"Damn," he echoed.

"...So we keep going?"

He nodded. "We keep going."

It didn't take them long to ascertain that Rosaline had left the area, and soon they had check all the surrounding streets and were headed into the city. Whether or not either of them was concerned about the dangers of walking the streets in the middle of the night was a mystery, neither spoke of it. Eventually they got rather close to the cemetery again.

Noticing this, Wanda turned to Day and said, "Maybe she went back to the scene of the crime."

"What?" he replied.

"You know, to try and figure out what happened." At the incredulous look he gave her, she shrugged. "Hey, it's possible."

He sighed. "You're right. I guess it wouldn't hurt to look."

She led the way, keeping pace with him, and soon they were approaching the exact place it had happened. Day steeled himself, not wanting to remember. They stopped for a moment to look around for Rosaline, but didn't see her, and thus moved on.

As they passed the gates, however, Wanda turned and entered the graveyard.

Day almost didn't stop, but managed to, and stared confusedly after her. "Hey!" he shouted, but she didn't turn around. Cursing, he turned himself around and followed her, struggling with his crutches to keep up. "What are you doing?" he shouted again after her.

This time, she looked over her shoulder at him, but didn't say anything.

"There's no way Rosie'd be in here," he insisted. "We should be checking the rest of the city, this is pointless."

By this point they had reached the large willow tree in the center, the one they had planned to meet at for their date, and once there she turned and started down a row of tombstones. He followed her, almost tripping as the ground turned to soft earth.

"Wanda –"

"Shut up," she hissed, turning only for a moment before continuing on her way.

He stopped talking and moving, surprised at her sudden change in attitude, then followed her again. Despite his worry for his sister, he was curious as to where she was going. They traveled down the same row for a good while, silence reigning, until finally he had enough.

"Wanda, what are you doing?" he asked again, more forceful this time.

At his words, his companion spun around, and in one swift movement had stepped back into his space and grabbed his shoulders, slamming him against a very tall tombstone which rose out of the ground in a pillar topped with a blindfolded angel. It happened so quickly he didn't have time to say anything, only to be confused and shocked at her force, and oddly enough, impressed at her strength.

She continued to keep him pinned there with her hands, glaring at him. "Stop being so fucking annoying!" she shouted. "What the fuck did you do to me?! What did you draw out of my mind?!"

He opened his mouth to speak, but found his thoughts overpowered by images. She forced visions into his mind, the same ones he saw when he stumbled across them in her mind. They were even more horrid and vivid than before, recalled with accurate detail, though as far as she knew she had never experienced anything like what they saw. He felt every one as she felt them, her pain mixed with her fury at him for loosing them upon her. And just like before, he knew there was nothing he could do about them.

"I don't know," he told her, now getting frightened. "I didn't mean to go that far into your mind, honest, I only wanted to know what was in your heart."

His romantic words did not faze her, and she tightened her grip on him. "Fix it."

"I can't," he insisted. "Its something inside of you, it can't just be undone. I have no power to change it."

Her face belying her disgust, she relaxed her grips, though not letting him go. Still frightened, he took the opportunity to try and slide out of her hold, but she was too fast. She slammed him back against the cold stone, and he tensed, trying to prepare for her wrath.

"Don't fuck with me," she hissed, then, shockingly, pressed herself against him and kissed him forcefully.

Wanda had no idea what she was doing. She had let her anger at this boy to rule her actions, doing whatever she felt, but she had not in any scenario expected herself to do this. As soon as their lips met she knew it was a bad idea, but she couldn't stop herself. After only seconds she pulled away from him, shoving him aside again, and stalked away.

He stared after her, lost in the shock of what had happened. One moment she had been ready to rip off his head, then, randomly, she kissed him. Talk about a 180, he thought, and stood himself back up. She had kept walking, faster this time, in the direction she had been going. Dumbly he followed her again, wondering, above all things, why she had done that.

As he hobbled along, he looked around again, in feeble hopes that Rosaline would just magically show up. In Wanda's random assault on him he had almost forgotten why they were here in the first place, which was very unlike him. For a moment he glanced down, making sure he wasn't going to trip on anything.

When he looked back up, his eyes settled on the perimeter of the cemetery, and widened in shock and fear.

Sitting under a tree, staring and snarling at them silently, was a large feral black dog.

Day tripped, his eyes so fixed on the dog that he hadn't noticed that Wanda had stopped, and knelt, blocking his path. As he fell over her she cursed, and he turned to apologize and try to get to his feet again. Annoyed, she stood to help him, then went back to what she was doing, not having seen it. He looked back in the spot where it had been, but more to his surprise, it was gone.

"Be careful," Wanda hissed, calling his attention back to her. He wasn't sure if she had been addressing him or herself, but he looked anyway. She was hunched over some bare dirt in front of a very old looking headstone, her arms moving as if she were digging for something.

Wait, no, she was digging for something.

"Got it," she said finally, and stood as he stared at her in complete dumbfoundedness. In her now dirty fingers she held a tattered, folded rectangle of paper, which she set to unfolding immediately and held it out for both of them to see. It was a map, a relatively large one, which on closer inspection revealed itself to be a layout of all of Bayville. It marked the streets and the important buildings, the parks, even the morbid graveyard in which they now stood.

Day, however, was still so wrapped up in previous events that he couldn't grasp why she had bothered with this.

"We can use it to help us find Rosaline," she explained, not mocking him but her voice still irritable. "We can mark the streets where we've already been and the ones Rosaline might have gone to, then follow them without getting lost or repeating ourselves. Now if we-"

"Uh, Wanda?"

She frowned. "Yes?"

"How did you know there was a map buried in front of that grave?"

"Because I put it there."

"Oh. . . . Okay, why?"

Folding the map in two, she stuck it under her arm, putting her hands on her hips to stare at him as if he were an idiot and it were none of his business. Which, granted, the latter of which was true, but hell, she had just pulled a map out of a random grave. He wanted to know how.

After a moment of neither or them backing down, the witch relaxed her stance and decided it wouldn't hurt to explain. "There's actually a bit of a hole there, where I pulled the map out of. I dug it to hide stuff in when I first joined the Brotherhood, you know, books and stuff, so they'd always be here for me when I needed to come and get away. I put the map in early on because I still wasn't familiar with the city and needed it to get around."

"I thought you lived here most of your life, though," the boy said.

She nodded. "Well yeah, but I..." It was right there, on the tip of her tongue. She could feel it beating against her forehead screaming for her to remember. Again the images assailed her brain, of the clean white and stone walls, the rooms where they ran tests, the feeling of being confined in a straight jacket day after day after day. It was all there and she couldn't touch it. Growling with the pain it brought, she clutched her head, buckling over and almost falling to the ground.

"Wanda!" Day shouted, abandoning a crutch to reach out and try and catch her, his hands finding her shoulders to steady her. "Wanda?"

"Make it stop," she muttered, desperately, over and over, "make it stop make it stop make it stop!"

"I can't," he whispered, his own voice filling with fear. "I don't know how."

Her eyes, filled with insane tears, met his, and he could have broken at the look she gave. "....Try."

It wasn't a command, or even a request. It wasn't even just a word. It suddenly became the symbol of all the wrong he had done to her in using his power, and he felt like shit. Ignoring the fact that he could fall over, he wrapped both arms around her, pulling her to him.

"Goddess, Wanda, I'm so sorry...."

They stood there like that for a long time. Eventually Wanda's cries of agony ceased, and she stopped crying, but still held on to him. Despite how enraged she had been at him, despite what he had loosed in her mind, his words meant something and she knew that he was truly sorry for what he did. She'd never admit it, of course, but a small part of her forgave him. They didn't look at each other at all, just stood there in each others arms, letting the moment pass as if it were a chill on the wind.

Then, suddenly, the both jumped at a sudden noise. A faint ringing had shattered the darkness, and, recognizing it, Day fumbled in his coat to find his phone. Wanda still held on to him to keep him standing until he found it, and when he did, still held on anyway.

With one hand he flipped it open and pressed it to his ear. "Hello?"

". . . Day?"

"Oh gods, Rosie, you're okay."

There was relief in her voice echoing his, though also a weakness he couldn't grasp. "Yeah, and thank Goddess you answered. Where are you?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Can you come get me?"

"Yeah, just tell us where you are, and we'll be right there." Listening to his sister's note on where she was, including, luckily, a street name, and a landmark. They found it in relation to the cemetery; it was only a short walk, if that.

"Don't worry, Rosie. We're on our way." He hung up the phone then, and looked at Wanda.

Nodding, she stooped to pick up his crutches, and helped him get them back in place so they could go. Neither of them spoke, having too much now to think of.

* * *

* * *

Author's note: And here it is, the psychotically belated chapter 6. I apologize for any suckage, there were points writing it where I was half passing out and thus may not have done the best job. But I think I did well enough. I wish the Masque/Rosie scene could have been longer, as it is, I dunno, the entire point of this chapter, but then all the Day/Wanda stuff just happened and took up half the entire thing. . . . Yay Wanda angst though. Anyway as usual review pleeeeeeease and you will hopefully be rewarded soon

Rurouni Tyriel – Hehehe, glad you liked dear. And yes, Day did mess up, but as you can see he and Wanda are certainly not over yet. But you know all about that. Glad you think I'm writing everyone in character, I do the best I can and worry sometimes. Glad you liked everything really. And especially the comments about Masque, thank you for those. Hope this chapter continued to live up to your expectations

DemonRogue13 – Thank you Expect to see less Tabby/Amara now though, since they have been resolved. I'll be focusing much more on Rosie and Masque. That is, if Day and Wanda stop giving me ideas. Rar at them.

Zero-vision – Thank you too. Yes, this version had a more thought put into it. A lot more. Guess it shows, yes?

Freakyicefairy – Still sorry these take so long to get out, really ;;;; I hope this one was worth the wait.

IrishTomboy06 – Hehehe, yes, Tabby and Amara are the bestest couple EVER! does a little dance I need to write them more. Too bad the plot is veering away from them a bit. Meh. Ad for Wanda seeing Masque and going apeshit, which you thought was going to happen, I think, she kinda did . . . but I skillfully avoided it mostly by making it a summarized flashback. Yes, fear my skills. Anyway, hope you enjoyed and stay tuned


	7. Intermission

Triangle

By Lady Comet

Disclaimer: I own only my own brainchildren. Everything else I'm just borrowing and bending to my will

Note: I don't write screenplays, I have never written one before in my life. However, what I have in mind here needed that format, so just deal with my inability.

**Triangle**

_**Intermission**_

**Scene**_: Random park bench next to a Willow Tree, appears to be in a small park in town. _

_Rosaline enters stage right, sits down on the bench. She waits for a moment, then the wind picks up and autumn leaves blow by. One floats slowly by her, and she reaches out to grab it, twisting it around in her fingers by its stem._

**Rosaline**: We're not dead yet.

_She stares forward, and as she inhales, the leaf in her hand turns green again, the color moving out from the tip of her fingers to the base and so on. The leaves around her stop falling, and the trees spring back to life, leaves reappearing and becoming green from the center outward. Rosaline smiles once it is done, and sets the leaf beside her on the bench._

_Not moments later, Day enters stage left, and plops down on the bench beside her, crushing the leaf._

**Rosaline**: _(gives him a disgusted look)_

**Day**: What?

**Rosaline**: _(shakes her head)_

**Day**: …..?

**Rosaline**: _(sighs)_ As I was saying, Lady Comet has instructed us here to tell you, the reader, that our story isn't over and she hasn't abandoned us. I-

**Day**: Quite the contrary. We are alive and kicking, and she has much more for us up her sleeve. _(he grins)_

**Rosaline**: She also apologizes for leaving off on a semi-cliff hanger. School and life got busy, so she had to drop some things.

**Day**: _(to Rosie)_ But she hasn't dropped us.

**Rosaline**: _(stares at him blankly for a moment, then smiles slightly)_ Shush.

**Day**: …Right. Anyway, please stay tuned. It might be a while before updates are regular again, but they will come, and we promise it'll be worth it. No matter what happens.

**Rosaline**: And trust me, you'll be in for some surprises.

_A few moments pass, then Day stretches and stands up._

**Day**: Well, off I go. I'm still on an impromptu date with Wanda.

**Rosaline**: _(looks as if she had forgotten)_ Right, and I'm supposed to be very confused and out in the middle of the night in my pajamas. _(also stands)_

**Day**: _(grins again)_ See you Rosie.

**Rosaline**: See you, bro.

_Day exits stage left (same way he came). Rosaline moves to leave, then stops, and turns back to the bench. She picks up the dead leaf from the bench, twists it around again in her finger, and renews it to its former shape. She places it back down on the bench, smiles, and walks off stage right._

_End scene_


	8. They Think

Triangle

By Lady Comet

Disclaimer: I own only my own brainchildren. Everything else I'm just borrowing and bending to my will

…….

Triangle

Part 7 – They Think

Masque closed the door behind her quietly as she entered the house. It was late, and she didn't want to wake anyone, though she knew it wasn't likely everyone was asleep. She shouldn't have been sneaking out so late, but whose business was it what she had done? No one but that girl's…

Her thoughts drifted again to her and what she had done. It was a risky thing to do, but she simply couldn't keep going if that girl thought she had tried to kill her brother. Somehow, it meant a lot to her. There was something about her that caught her attention; she couldn't put her finger on it. Fruitlessly she tried to push the feeling away, reminding herself that it was dangerous to involve anyone else in her life. No one deserved it.

Still, she smiled as she ascended the stairs, heading for her room. As she climbed, Freddy appeared and started down, smiling at her and turning a bit pink. She nervously smiled back and moved faster, aware that he watched her even as she closed her bedroom door.

…..

Across the city, but nearby enough, Rosaline sat with her back pressed against the alley wall, hiding behind a dumpster. She shivered, but it wasn't cold. The note was clenched between her closed between her fingers, right where the girl had left it. In her other hand rested her cell phone, which she hoped would ring soon. Day was taking his time.

"Rosie?"

At her name, she staggered to her feet, coming out of her hiding place. "Day…thank Goddess." She rushed over to him as he tried to come to her, wobbling on his crutches.

"Jeez, Rosie, you scared me to death," he said, trying to embrace her. "What the hell are you doing out here anyway?"

"Well," she started, glancing over at Wanda, who was standing idly off to the side. After a moment, she sighed, deciding it wasn't worth it to keep her guard up because of her. "I was doing my math homework, and I suddenly lost control of my body. It started moving on its own, all I could do was watch as it moved without my consent, leading me out of the mansion and out here. And when I got here…" She trailed off, knowing the next part was even more troublesome.

"What?" Day demanded, sounding more frustrated than he probably intended to.

"Then out of the shadows stepped…well, the girl from earlier, who was there when you got hurt."

He growled, becoming angry already. She hadn't thought he believed her to be the cause, but she knew he was stressed for some unknown reason, and this must have been his chosen outlet.

"She didn't hurt me or attack me or anything!" Rosie insisted, continuing. "She just handed me a folded-up note, and then…" She paused, remembering the kiss. "And then she turned and left. She gave me back control of my body, and I called you."

Day eyed her suspiciously. Her cheeks had turned mysteriously pink, he could tell even in the darkness, and he sensed she was holding something back. He also had to fight against his instinct to grab the note from her, but he knew that would only cause more trouble.

"You're sure she didn't hurt you?" he asked.

Rosie nodded.

"Okay," he sighed in relief. "Let's get you home." Awkwardly, he steered her towards the street, and they headed back. As they walked, Rosie was lost in her thoughts, but not enough that she didn't notice a strange tension between Wanda and Day. She was pissed when she left earlier, she remembered, but it seemed that something else had happened. Before she could think it over any longer her thoughts returned to the note, and the kiss, and what exactly all of this meant.

They reached the dead tree that served as the marker between the mansion and the Brotherhood house, at which point they stopped. Wanda shifted in the direction of the house, making it clear she wanted to leave.

"Thank you for coming, Wanda," Day said, his voice hesitant and guarded.

"Yeah," she replied, looking away from him.

"I'll, um, I'll call you soon so we can talk. I promise."

"Right." With that, she turned and strode away from them, not bothering to say goodbye.

Rosaline looked back and forth between them as she left. "So…what's up with her?"

He shrugged sadly. "Let's just say its been a complicated evening. And so, why don't you tell me what really happened out there?"

"I already did."

"No you didn't. You left something out." He tapped his forehead. "Remember?"

She looked at the ground.

"We're not going home until you tell me, and I know you've gotta be cold."

"…Bitch."

"You know it," he grinned. "So what happened?"

Rosaline let out a light groan, and looked at him again. "Okay. When I got to the alley, I shouted and screamed at her first, because she gave me control of my body right then and there. She didn't answer me. I started to cry, and then suddenly, well…she kissed me."

"…Um, excuse me, I don't believe I caught that."

"Liar. Anyway, after she kissed me, I stood there in shock as she pressed the note into my hand and walked away. Simple as that."

He ran a hand through his hair, careful to keep his balance. "Well, wow. Not what I was expecting."

She smirked. "Were you expecting that I attacked her?"

"Ha ha ha, very funny." Suspicious again, he looked at her sideways, tapping a finger to this chin. "…Can I see the note?"

"No," she asserted, clutching it tighter in her hand. "If there's anything pertaining to you I'll tell you. I promise."

He stared at her, thinking, and then nodded his head. "All right. Now let's go home."

As they walked the rest of the way to the mansion, Rosaline keeping a slower pace to match her brother, they both remained silent. Inside, Day was smoldering. He was being overprotective of her, he knew this, but he couldn't help it. This girl may have tried to hurt him and he didn't want Rosie to get hurt too. _But_, he thought as he glanced over at her, _I don't think this is something I can stop_. Rosaline didn't notice his look; she was lost too, in different thoughts.

Upon reaching the mansion and stepping silently through the gates, they headed straight for the front doors, assuming no one would be up to see them enter there. However, as they got closer, they saw a form on the steps growing clearer and clearer.

"Shit," Day cursed.

Scott stood up to greet them, in his pajamas and a coat, looking both ridiculous and annoyed. "Welcome back."

"Thanks," Day smiled, and Rosaline rolled her eyes.

Scott just frowned. "Follow me. The Professor wants to see you. Now."

Silently, they followed him, exchanging glances as they went inside. How they got caught neither of them had any clue too, as far as they knew they both had covered their tracks. Scott led them directly to Xavier's office, where he urged them in before him. Much to their dismay, he still followed them inside.

Professor Xavier sat at his desk, also in his pajamas, which was somehow more amusing than Scott. He did not look pleased. When he saw them enter, he leaned his elbows on the surface in front of him, lacing his fingers together into one fist.

"I expect you have an explanation for having left?" he asked coldly.

"Sure," said Day, taking the defensive stance that usually got him into trouble. "It's a fascinating Riverdance of a story, really. Has a beginning, a middle, and an end."

"Shut up," Rosaline hissed under her breath.

"No student has the right to leave the grounds at night. It's too dangerous. There are many people in this world who would want to harm us, human and mutant alike, and none of us can afford to take that risk. Especially you, my students. And as you are in my care, I expect you to act more responsibly. I have to remain accountable for you and I cannot do that if you do not follow my rules. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir," they answered in unison.

Behind them, Day felt Scott smirk, and he gnashed his teeth together.

"Now," said Xavier, leaning back in his wheelchair. "Please tell me what happened."

"I'll start," Rosaline said timidly. "While I was upstairs earlier, maybe about forty five minutes or so, I suddenly lost control of my body. It was moving on its own and all I could do was watch as it walked me out of here and into an alleyway in the city. I got control back then, and I was greeted by the girl who was at the accident today, the one with all the scars. All she did was…" she paused, not wanting to tell Xavier about the note. If she did, he might take it from her, and she couldn't handle that. It was hers, private, and they only needed to know if something dangerous was in there. It was just a note. "…She handed me a note, and walked away. Before I left she had me grab my cell phone, so I called Day, and here we are."

"And you managed to have your cloak and shoes with you?" Scott asked.

"Yes. She had me grab those too."

Xavier nodded, and then looked at Day. "Your turn."

Day sighed. "Well, I noticed Rosie wasn't here before she called me, and I didn't want to get anyone else involved in case it was…personal. So I called Wanda for help and the two of us went looking for her. While we were searching she called, and we went over to get her, and came right back here."

"All right." Xavier leaned forward again, his gaze fixed on both of them. "I am disappointed that you did not come to us for help, Day. You shouldn't have gone out on your own, especially with your leg in that condition. We could have handled it. I understand your concern for the situation, but in the future I expect you to at least let me know what is going on."

"Yes sir," he almost spat.

"That goes for both of you. If anything happens in the future, do not hesitate to involve the team. We can help and we understand."

They remained silent.

Xavier looked over at Scott. "Scott, please take Rosaline down to the Infirmary, just in case."

"I'm fine," she protested.

"Just as a precaution," he assured her. "And Day, go straight to bed. You'll need your sleep to heal."

"Right," he grumbled, and followed Scott and his sister out the door.

Day and Rosaline said goodnight as they parted ways, Rosaline silently keeping pace with Scott, who said nothing to her. Annoyed, she reminded herself that she felt fine, but she understood the Professor's concern. Twirling the note in her hand, hidden under the folds of her cloak, she hoped that this wouldn't take long. She had reading to do.

…..

Less than a half an hour later, Rosaline headed back upstairs, not bothering to wait for Scott. As she knew, there was nothing wrong with her. She grumbled to herself as she entered her room, but thinking of the note, replaced her anger with a strange excitement. She didn't even glance at her unfinished math homework or the clock on her nightstand, shedding her cloak and sandals to settle on her bed, unfurling the note quickly. She was lucky Xavier hadn't asked for it after all. Opening it now, she realized how oddly it was folded, over and over itself in triangles until it was able to fold itself closed. Finally she got it open, and holding her breath, focused on the words.

"_Hello. I don't know your name, and I understand that this must seem bizarre, but I need you to know what happened. I did not try to hurt your brother. I'm a mutant, which I think you understand, and I can see visions of the future sometimes. I knew he was going to get hurt, though I didn't know why or who he was, so I came here in order to stop it from happening. I failed, but I'd like to think I helped a little. My other power came into play there, which is mind control. I tried to stop the driver of the car from crushing him against that wall, and I didn't do as well as I hoped. I swear I didn't make him crash into your brother. I also used that power on you tonight, and I apologize. Knowing this must seem strange, and I don't expect you to believe me, but I couldn't just sit here without explaining myself. I don't want you to think badly of me. _

_I am sorry for what happened. I hope you believe me._

_- Masque"_

And she did.

…..

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

"…Hello?"

"Hey."

"…Do you have any idea what time it is? You could have woken my parents."

"Sorry. There's something I need to tell you, right now."

"What is so important that you had to interrupt my sleep? I have a test tomorrow."

"This – my little sister's still in high school, right? Well, there's two new mutie freaks from Xavier's freak school, and there's a rumor going around. I don't know who started it, but it's got to be true, and it makes things twice as sick."

"Oh this should be good."

"…She's a dyke."

"Ohmigod, your sister!"

"No! The mutant. Don't be disgusting."

"Sorry. But, eww. You were right."

"I know. It's twice as wrong, and my sis wants to do something about it. She needs our help."

"How can we help?"

"Not sure. She has a plan, but will need our help for it. She wants us to meet early tomorrow morning at the school."

"Real school or freak school?"

"Real school."

"…Okay, I'll be there. What time?"

"Five a.m. And bring a flashlight."

"You got it. And don't worry; we'll definitely get the freak dyke. I promise."

……………………..

Author's note -

promptly grovels before all of you I am so, so sorry that this has taken so long. I have no excuses. However, I hope my reappearance makes up for it, and this wonderful addition of a new chapter. My goal for winter break (which is almost over) was to finish this, and I intend to. Look out for more chapters over the upcoming days.

As such, I probably won't get to respond to many comments at the end of chapters. I'm sorry! I will try! But it may be necessary in order to get this finished.

Oh, and whoever spots the Moxy Fruvous shout-out and/or figures out what the conversation at the end is about, in detail, gets a cookie I probably won't be able to deliver ;

grovels more and leaves


	9. They Know

Triangle

By Lady Comet

Disclaimer: I own only my own brainchildren. Everything else I'm just borrowing and bending to my will

…….

Triangle

Part 8 – They Know

…

Knockknockknock.

Suddenly the Brotherhood house came to life, as everyone looked up in confusion. Masque looked even more confused at the panic on the others' faces; Freddy had almost dropped his cereal, Lance looked even worse, and she thought Toad must be hiding behind the couch. Before she could even think to ask why, which she couldn't anyway, a slight hum announced that Pietro had run to answer the door.

Curious, she stood up and went to watch. As the door opened, two figures came into view. One was a man who appeared to be in his thirties wearing a dark overcoat and jaunty-looking hat, his features very serious and cold. Behind him was an older man dressed similarly, but in brown, and his features greatly resembled that of a monkey. Pietro opened the door wider, beckoning them in and saying something she did not hear.

Pietro led the men towards the living room, and now that the men were in view, everyone relaxed a bit. Toad poked his head out from behind the couch and sighed.

"Not Mystique, good," he said.

"This might be worse," Lance thought.

Pietro stepped into the room first, smirking a bit at the rest of them. "I believe you remember my father, Magneto."

The first man took off his hat and smiled at them, though the smile seemed rather odd on his face. He had short-cropped white hair that matched Pietro's and a strong jaw line. The wisdom in his eyes seemed much older than he features belied. Masque was immediately suspicious of him.

"…And this is Mastermind," Pietro finished, disgust in his voice.

The other man kept his eyes to the ground, looking uncomfortable. He glanced over at Masque briefly, his eyes bearing into her. She stepped back, getting more defensive by the minute.

Behind them, Wanda started down the stairs, still in her pajamas and yawning rather loudly. When she reached the bottom and turned to go to the kitchen, she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Father?" she asked, very surprised.

Magneto turned around. "Good morning, Wanda."

Pietro turned to look at her too. "Told you we were getting visitors."

She ignored him. "Father, why are you here?"

He smiled at her, and putting his hand on her shoulder, turned her attention to Masque. "Pietro told us of the newest member of your team. We are here to welcome her."

Masque frowned. She had spent enough time being talked about as if she wasn't there. However, she could find no way to leave the room without walking through the group in the doorway. She was trapped.

"Excuse me, sir, but since when are we your team?" Lance asked. He stood up too, trying to take on a role of leadership. "Mystique –"

"Mystique is gone," Magneto finished for him. "I do not intend to take her place, but as my children are here, I have interest in all of you." Leaving Wanda, he stepped towards Masque, who stepped back again towards the wall. "Now, greetings child. I am Eric Lensherr."

Mastermind looked over his shoulder at Wanda before he followed. Suddenly, Wanda grimaced with pain. All the images Day had unlocked within her flew to the front of her mind as she stared back; forcing her to remember that somehow this man was involved in their suppression. She tore herself away, heading for the kitchen without another word. She didn't want to know…did she?

Back in the living room, Masque stood still as Magneto extended his hand to her. She looked at it, then at him, and then reached out to take it. He shook her hand, then let go, and gestured behind him. "Mastermind and I would like to have a word with you. Please follow us."

Again, she hesitated. She did not know these men, neither of them had been mentioned to her when she came to the house, and neither was the one Lance called 'Mystique.' This didn't seem safe.

He smiled at her in reassurance. "I promise no harm will come to you."

Steeling herself, she nodded, and followed as they led her into the room across the hall.

Watching the door close, Freddy asked Pietro, "What's going on?"

"They're going to give her a gift," he answered swiftly. "You know, to win her trust. She's more useful than you idiots realize."

"She is?" replied Toad. "I thought she was just another runaway freak, like us."

"Anythingwecangetisvaluable, Toad!" he hissed. "The X-geeks are gaining members every day, and we have to be prepared to fight them."

Lance scowled. "Really? Or are you just trying to get on 'Daddy's' good side?"

Pietro glared back, and left the room without another word.

…..

Across town, Rosaline rushed through the doors of Bayville High. She had gotten up later than she wanted, having gone to sleep way too late, and if she didn't run fast enough she was going to miss class. Everyone else had gone on ahead of her, except for Day, who was also running late and she had to leave behind. As long as she could get to her locker fast and get her books without having to fight anything, she'd be able to make homeroom. She hoped.

When she got there, she had to fight through a small crowd that was gathered around that area, all seeming to stare at one thing. She was too short to see and didn't have time to even try, focused on pushing her way through. Cursing, she finally got out of the crowd, and turned to go to her locker.

Then she stopped, dropping everything she held.

Her locker had been beaten in, presumably by a bat or something like it, and torn open. Its contents were scattered all over the floor in various states of destruction, including her textbooks. The worst of it, however, was that the door had been pushed shut again, and every negative word she could think of for being gay was scrawled across it in bright red paint. Dyke, freak, bitch, cunt, fag, freak. Some she couldn't even make out.

She took a step forward, almost stumbling, and let out a soft noise no one could understand. It was happening again. She would lose everything, again.

And then someone laughed.

The laughter spread, and soon, a lot of the crowd was laughing, thinking that this was funny and somehow okay. Rosaline didn't even really hear them; their noise filtered through her and attached itself to her memories, everything that had happened to her back home flooding her vision and turning itself into what was to come. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she sank to the floor, staring down at it.

In the distance, the bell rang, and she felt the crowd begin to disperse. When she thought they were all gone, she looked up at her locker again. All control she held on to slipped through her grasp then. Her breathing became deeper and frantic, like she was trying to scream but couldn't find her voice. Outside, the trees began to shake, and the tiles in the floor split as grass shot up between them. Her eyes turned completely brown, with black cracks at the sides, and green flowed up through the tips of her hair.

Second later, footsteps came thundering into the hallway, and someone screamed.

"Oh mah god, Rosaline!"

She didn't even notice, though Rogue's gloved fingers grabbed her by shoulders, trying to shake her back into reality. Rogue turned around, seeing Bobby behind her. He was staring dumbfounded at the destruction of her locker, not sure what to do.

"Bobby, go fin' Day," she pleaded, still trying to reach Rosaline.

He nodded, and as he ran off, people started looking out into the hall to see what was going on. In the opposite direction Tabitha happened to look out of her classroom, ignoring her teacher's call to sit back down. She gasped and ran out to help.

As she reached them, Amara appeared, also having heard the scream and coming to help. They all called out to her, but Rosaline didn't budge, plants beginning to grow through the windows and climb along the walls. Some even shot up underneath her locker and reached to tear it open again.

"Rogue! Here he is!" a voice shouted, and Bobby and Day came barreling back to them.

Day hobbled as fast as he could on his crutches, and one he got to his sister dropped in front of her and took her into his arms. Rogue, Tabitha, and Amara stepped back, joining Bobby a few feet away. Stroking her hair, Day took a deep breath and reached into his sister's mind with his power, struggling to bring her back.

_You're safe_, he told her. _It's all right_.

While he worked, a few teachers finally came into the hallway, one of them running off to find Principal Kelly. They tried to go towards Rosaline and Day, but Bobby stopped them. Before they could object, Rosaline let out a long sigh, and they all turned to see her slump into Day's arms. She had passed out.

"Um, help?" Day called, and Tabitha rushed forward to help him to his feet and lift Rosaline. Bobby also went to help hold her up while Tabby got Day back in his crutches.

Not a second later, quick footsteps announced Principal Kelly's arrival on the scene. He stopped, stunned, and then gawked. Rogue frowned, sure his shock was at the destruction of school property by Rosie's plants, not the hate crime that provoked her. He strode forward, glaring at all of them. The other teachers retreated, knowing that things were about to get ugly.

"What happened here!" he shouted.

Tabitha pointed at the locker. "That happened! What the hell is this?"

He glanced at it, the focused on them again. "And who broke the windows, and all these plants…I know one of you mutant freaks did it!"

"Excuse me?" Rogue stepped forward, her hands on her hips. "Did ya even look at that locker? That's vandalism against the school, and against her!"

"I wouldn't be surprised if this was all your responsibility!" he retorted.

"What?" Bobby gasped.

"You mutants have caused enough trouble in this school. I have had enough. You are out of here – all of you!"

"Um, did we catch him on a bad day?" Day whispered to Amara.

"No, he's like this all the time," she hissed back.

They were interrupted by the now-familiar sound of rushed footsteps and one of Kelly's secretaries appeared. "Principal Kelly…sir, there's –"

"What?" he demanded, spinning around.

She cleared her throat. "Charles Xavier is on the phone."

He growled and turned back to the students, glaring at them so hard one might think his eyeballs would explode. "I want all of you in my office. RIGHT NOW."

"But she's hurt!" Amara pointed out. "She should go to the nurse…or something!"

Prompted, Kelly glanced at Rosaline's unconscious form, and sighed with annoyance. "Fine. Take her there and then all of you, and I mean all of you, come immediately to my office. If even one of you isn't there, you're all expelled." And with that, he turned on his heel and stormed off.

"Shit," said Tabitha.

"He can't do anythin' ta us. The Professor will sort it out," Rogue insisted, though for once even she wasn't sure.

Day looked at all of them, then down at Rosaline, and shook his head. "Come on. We need to get her out of here."

…..

Back at the Brotherhood Boarding House, Masque sat rigid in her chair as the two men looked at her. Magneto sat across from her, staring, as Mastermind hovered a small distance away.

"Now…Madison, right?" he began.

She nodded, now unsure whether or not she should have given Pietro her real name when she moved in her.

"Madison, I'd like you to know that you are safe here. Everyone in this house, myself included, is a mutant like you. We all have something to fight for – our continued existence." He leaned forward, placing his hands on his knees. "If I was told correctly, you lack the ability to speak."

She nodded again.

He smiled. "Then we have a gift for you."

He stood, and beckoned Mastermind forward. The smaller, misshapen man came forward, standing over her. She sank back, not feeling very safe at all, and looked back at Magneto.

"He's not going to hurt you, Madison; he's going to help you. Mastermind is a telepath like yourself, but his powers operate differently. He can recreate memory, create illusions, and sometimes more. I believe he will be able to give you speech, though not in the way you expect." His features softened and he locked eyes with her. "Will you let him try?"

She was still frightened, and she didn't really trust them at all. However, she hadn't been able to speak since before she knew words. She could read and write, but never communicate otherwise, and she wanted to be able to talk more than anything else. That desire was so strong that it drove away all of her fears, and against her intuition, she nodded her head again.

Magneto smiled, satisfied. "Go ahead, Mastermind."

He leaned over her, placing his hands on either side of her head, his flesh just inches from her hair. She watched as his eyes turned yellow and her mind opened to him. She felt him flow through it like ink, black and thin, collecting what she knew of language and melding it into something new. It happened so quickly she didn't even have time to think about it or to worry about her memories in his hands. Then with a snap he was out, stepping backwards as she slumped forward, pushing herself back up into the chair.

_"That was… "_ she thought, looking over at Magneto.

"…strange?" he answered.

Her eyes widened. _"You can hear me."_

"Yes, I can."

_"But how?"_

"You are pushing your thoughts into my mind, and into Mastermind's. Whoever you are around will hear you as if you are speaking to them in your own voice."

Masque put a hand over her forehead, defocusing her vision and losing herself in this new fact. She almost couldn't believe it.

_"Why?"_

"Excuse me?"

_"I mean, why have you done this for me? This is…I mean, this is the most amazing gift I have ever been given, and you barely know me. I guess I don't understand."_

Magneto stood, closing the distance between them, and put a hand on her shoulder. "We did this because you deserve it, and in working with your housemates, you will need a way to communicate. The world is very cruel, Madison, and we need to stick together to overcome those who oppose us. We must use all of our talents together to improve our lives." He reached for his hat, which sat on a table beside them, and settled it back on his head. "You are welcome."

He led Mastermind out of the room then, and after a moment, Masque got up and followed them. She stood and watched as Pietro showed them out the door, his father looking behind him to smile once more at her before they left. The door shut, and she shivered.

Pietro walked over to her then, a cocky grin on his face. "Well?"

_"Well what?"_

"I see it worked."

_"Yes…"_

"…Well?"

She frowned. _"Are you expecting me to thank you?"_

"No. But I hope you understand what all of this means."

_"Maybe. Tell me."_

He got closer, getting uncomfortably close, and hissed, "You're one of us now. Just don't fuck up." Before she could answer, he zipped away, heading back upstairs.

She went back across the hallway and sat back down in the living room with the others. Lance, Toad, and Freddy all stared at her, obviously wondering what had just happened.

She turned and smiled at them. _"Hey, could we watch 'The Ellen Show?' It's on in half an hour."_

Their jaws dropped simultaneously, and for the first time in a very long time, she laughed.

…..

Later, at Xavier's mansion, Rosaline sank deeper into her bed. She was home now, Xavier had taken care of everything. He was even going to pay for the repairs on the school. None of them were suspended, though the event had gone on her permanent record, and she had gotten the rest of the day off. However, she knew that any promises Principal Kelly made to look into what had been done to her were all lies. None of it mattered anyway, she was going to lose everything again.

At home, it had happened slowly, the hatred rising with the violence when everyone found out. She was lucky her family had been accepting, otherwise she wouldn't have survived. She tried to be strong, though everything they did, the cat-calls and insults and violence, eventually wore her down into the broken twig she was now. Nothing was ever done to stop it. Then it happened; she was attacked, beaten within an inch of her life and almost raped. Her powers had saved her before the boys had a chance, though it was almost too late, and too late to stop them from hurting her. She lost control and one of them died a few days later. It didn't take her long to heal, and once she had, her parents sent her here. Day refused to let her go, so he came too. She was supposed to be safe here, away from all of that. It wasn't supposed to happen again.

Tears flowed into her pillow as she rocked with sobs. She knew she wouldn't be able to handle it again if it came to that. Of course it would. She had been wrong to think it would get any better.

Outside, Day listened to her cry. He had just gotten home and wanted to check on her, but he knew this was one of the times nothing in his power could ease her pain. He sighed, defeated, and ushered himself back to his room. He'd better let their parents know what happened.

…..

"I can't believe it!" Jubilee said for the thousandth time. "I knew there was something weird about her. Didn't I say there was something weird about her?"

The New recruits were all sitting in the living room, winding down from school. Everyone had gotten back only moments ago, converging here to talk about what happened. The news had spread faster than any of them expected and now everyone at Bayville High knew about Rosie, powers and sexuality alike.

Jamie raised his hand. "Um, excuse me, but what is a 'dyke' anyway?"

Jubilee shuddered. "It's a –"

"Enough," Rahne said, shutting her up with a glare. "Jamie, ye know how normally a boy an' girl fall in love?"

He nodded.

"Well, this is when a girl an' another girl fall in love."

His eyes widened. "Oh."

"I don't see why it's such a big deal," Bobby said. "She's gay. So what? Lots of people are."

"Don't be ridiculous," Jubilee spat. "It's just not…normal."

"I don't know," Roberto said. "I don't think its right either, but we're mutants. We've gotta stick together. I don't think we should make a big deal about it."

"Me either," Ray agreed. "I think it's kind of hot. Mmm, lesbians."

While Bobby grinned at him, Tabitha and Amara exchanged glances. This was very, very uncomfortable.

Rahne looked over at them. "What d'ye think?"

"Um, what?" Amara started, thinking she meant the sex appeal of lesbians.

Tabby spoke up, feeding herself with her anger that some of her friends were such idiots. "I don't think it matters what we think about who she fucks. She's one of us now, and that means something."

They all stared at her in shock. Jubilee glared at her, and she glared back.

"I think Tabby's right," Sam decided. "It doesn't matter what we think. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm going to help her if she gets in trouble at school again."

Many voices in the room muttered their consent. Jubilee opened her mouth again to speak, but a sudden knock on the wall interrupted them. They all turned to see Kurt standing there, smiling as if nothing strange was going on.

"Sorry to interrupt, but it iz almost dinnertime," he told them. "Ze Professor wants us to eat dinner together so he can talk to us."

"Great," groaned Bobby. "Are we in trouble?"

Kurt smiled, and bamfed away.

The conversation over, everyone left to get ready for dinner. Tabby and Amara went up to their room, closing their door behind them.

"Shit," Tabby cursed. "Shit shit shit."

"I know," Amara sighed, plopping down on her bed. "Poor Rosie…and gods, what are we going to do?"

"I guess we don't get to come out now." Her girlfriend sat down beside her, leaning into her and letting their foreheads touch. "Who knew Jubilee was such a bitch?"

"I know. This isn't like her at all."

"'Mara," Tabby started, reaching for her. "I…"

There was a sudden knock at the door, and half of Kitty phased through it. Both of them almost fell of the bed in shock and fear of getting caught, but she didn't seem to notice.

"You guys, come on!" she urged. "Dinner starts, like, now!"

Begrudgingly they got up to follow her, sure this was going to be awkward too.

…..

"Thank you all for coming," Xavier said, looking down the table at all of his students. Everyone came, including his faculty. The only one missing was Rosaline, which he expected. "Now, I'd like to talk to you about what happened at school today.

"Regardless of what any of us think about why Rosaline was attacked, it could happen to any of us. She was attacked because of what she is, not because of her mutation, but it could have happened because of that. You all know that the world is not very friendly toward us and in order to overcome discrimination we have to stick together. This is just as true now. We are a team, and Rosaline is also part of it. Things are going to be very difficult for her from now on, and I expect all of you to be supportive. You are entitled to your opinions, no matter what they are, but I hope you understand that to persecute her for who she is is to act like those who persecute us."

Many heads around the table nodded, though a few showed frowns.

Xavier smiled. "Now, who wants dinner?"

At that cue, Jean looked at the door and it flew open, three very large pizzas floating in and onto the table. Almost everyone dived for the food, plates and napkins abandoned to a primal need. Standing against the wall, Storm watched them, noticing as Amara helped Day get his. She looked at the empty seat where Rosaline should be, then stood and walked towards the door.

Rosaline looked up as she heard someone knock. "C-come in," she said, wiping her nose.

Storm walked in, shut the door behind her, and moved to sit down on the bed next to her. "Are you all right, child?" she asked.

Rosaline shook her head, turning it to watch the rain again.

Storm raised a hand to touch her shoulder. "Regardless of what happens, you have support here. Your friends will be here to help you, no matter what happens."

"They might hate me," she whispered, tears rolling once more down her face.

"They won't."

She looked over her shoulder at her. "This has happened before."

"I know. I don't think, however, that last time you had superhuman friends to help you if something happened."

She laughed a bit, and looked hopefully at her teacher.

"We are all behind you, child. It will be all right."

Rosie nodded, leaning forward to let the older woman hug her. "…Thank you."

Storm nodded, wiping a tear from her cheek. "Now, would you like some dinner?"

She hesitated, then shook her head. "No…I still need to be alone."

"All right. If you need anything, ask." She hugged the girl again, then stood, smiling as she left the room.

Rosaline waited until he heard her footsteps fade. Sure that it was safe, she got up, going to the door and looking out to make sure no one was around. She glanced back into the room, focusing on the note folded on her nightstand, and then stepped outside, hurrying towards her brother's room. Quickly she went to his dresser and searched through the mess, looking for a tiny slip of paper she knew he still had. Her fingers closed around it, and she opened it up. Wanda's number.

She knew that's where Masque had gone, though she couldn't remember why. She didn't even know why she wanted to see her now, only that she did, and she could think of nothing else to make her feel better. Clutching the small piece of paper, she hurried back to her room, shutting the door and grabbing her phone. A small voice inside of her told her that it was only supposed to be used for emergencies. The rest of her screamed at it to shut up, and she dialed.

_I'm crazy_, she thought, and listened to it ring.

…….

Author's note: Ta da! I pound out another chapter. I hope this one doesn't seem forced, I had a bit of difficulty with it. You'll notice also that I changed one thing about Rosie's past – she wasn't raped. When it came down to it I couldn't do that to her, I think being horribly beaten is bad enough. Next one soon, I'm still trying to get this done before I start school again. And now, to answer some comments.

NctrnlBst – Close, but not quite. The people on the phone many lead up to that eventually, but it's on a much smaller scale now. Anyway, since you've read the chapter you know what their plan was. Very clever of them. And thank you for understanding my laziness

Tyriel – No "Unfinished Fanfiction folder" for me, no sir. And I have no real reason that Scott was up rather than Wolvie…except that I like writing Scott as an asshole. Its fun. And Wolvie could have easily been off at some bar getting hammered and angsting about Sabertooth. You never know. Glad you like as usual


	10. They Understand

Triangle

By Lady Comet

Disclaimer: I own only my own brainchildren. Everything else I'm just borrowing and bending to my will

…….

Triangle

Part 9 – They Understand

…

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

"Yeah yeah yeah, I'm comin'!" Toad yelled, hopping towards the phone. This had better be good, it had interrupted Happy Days. Why the hell were they so popular lately? "Yeah, hello?"

"Um, hi…is Masque there?"

He blinked quite a few times. "What?"

"Masque. She lives there, doesn't she?"

"Uh, yeah…hold on." Holding the receiver to his shoulder, Toad stuck out his tongue and wrapped it around the cordless, which was plugged in across the room. Grabbing it with his free hand, he turned it on and hung up the other phone. "I think she's upstairs, hold on."

"Okays…thanks."

He walked upstairs as fast as he could, unable to hop since one of his hands was occupied. Who the hell would be calling for Masque? He thought, confused. It's not like she can…oh yeah. He knocked on the door, standing outside impatiently. This was too weird.

There was a rustling inside, and in a moment Masque opened the door, looking disheveled. _"Yeah?"_

He held out the phone. "Uh, for you?"

He stared blankly at him. _"What?"_

"Phone call. You have one, yo."

Even more confused than he was, she took the phone from him, making a face at the lime running down it. _"…Thanks."_

"No prob." He shrugged, then hopped back down the hallway.

Wiping the phone on the arm of her sweatshirt, which she was sure she'd put on backwards, Masque brought the phone to her ear and sat down. _"Hello?"_

Across town, in Xavier's school, Rosaline almost dropped her phone. The sound wasn't in her ear, it was in her mind. "Um, uh….hello? Masque?"

_"Yeah…who is this?"_

"It's Rosaline. The girl you gave the note to, remember. I don't know if you know my name."

She blushed. _"I do now."_

Unseen by her, Rosie blushed too. "Oh, good. Hi."

_"Hi."_

"Uh…can I ask you something?"

_"Sure."_

"How come I can hear you inside my head, and not in my ear?"

_"Well…I can't use my voice. I speak with my mind now. It's complicated."_

"Oh. All right. I'm sorry if that was intrusive."

_"No, its okay, really."_

She sighed. "Good."

A few awkward moments passed. _"So…uh, how are you?"_

"Good… you?"

_"Good."_

More silence.

_"So…why did you call me?"_

"I don't know…I read your note, and thank you for it. I guess I figured you lived here and I thought I should try to talk to you."

_"Oh. You're welcome."_

She smiled. "Would you, well, can we meet? I need to get out for a while, and I think we have a lot to talk about."

She sighed. _"We do. I know."_

"I haven't eaten dinner yet."

_"Me either."_

"Good! I mean, do you want to get something to eat? With me?"

Masque thought for a minute. This was very unexpected. She really wanted to hear back from this girl, of course, but for some reason she hadn't expected to. _"…Sure."_

"Oh good." She heard her sigh with relief. "Where do you want to go?"

_"There's this little restaurant near Moe's Hotel that looks pretty nice. A diner, I think. Do you wanna go there?"_

"Sure. I'll meet you there in half an hour?"

_"An hour, please. I need to shower."_

She blushed. "Okay."

Suddenly, Masque remembered something, and slapped her forehead with the heel of her hand. _"Shit, I can't."_

"What? Why not?"

_"…I don't have any money."_

"That's okay. It's my treat."

_"Oh no, I couldn't."_

"Yes you can. I owe you something for yelling at you in the alley."

_"But I kidnapped you."_

"…Well yes, but its okay. Really."

Masque wasn't used to people being nice to her, let alone offering to buy her dinner. She had to admit…it was nice.

"So, see you in an hour?"

_"Yes. Thanks, Rosaline."_

"You're welcome. And it's Rosie."

_"All right…Rosie."_

"See you soon," she said, and hung up the phone.

Masque hung up too, and found herself smiling. It had been a very good day indeed.

…..

Less than half an hour later, Rosie was dressed and ready to go. It had taken her less time to get ready than she thought, which was good as she wasn't sure how long it was going to take her to get to that restaurant. She thought Moe's Hotel was close by, just outside of the city on their side of it, so it shouldn't take more than half an hour.

She gave herself one last look in the mirror. She looked okay.

_It's not a date_, she told herself as she grabbed her cloak and a pair of clogs she hadn't worn in a while. _I don't go out on dates after being publicly humiliated and revealed as a dyke_. She repeated this in her mind as she left, ignoring the fact that she hadn't dressed up this way since they went to that goth club.

Sticking her head out of the door first, she checked to see if anyone was coming. No one was. The best way to sneak out now would probably be the back; if she got past the gardens, the trees would hide her long enough for her to get to the gate. Going out the main doors would be too risky.

She was lucky most of the way, everyone was too busy hanging out in the living room or finishing up dinner to even notice her as she passed. She had almost gotten to the doors out into the gardens when suddenly, a voice behind her cleared, and she turned to see Beast watching her with an amused expression on his furry features.

"Oh…I was just…um," she stammered, trying to come up with a story.

"You seem to be feeling better."

"Yes," she said as he walked up to her. "I just need to get out for a while. Everyone here is worried about me, I need to do something normal."

"Professor Xavier is not going to be happy when he finds out you've snuck out again," Beast noted. "Don't you think it would be wiser to tell him what you're doing?"

"He might not let me go," she pointed out.

"Maybe, but the Professor is very understanding. You should know that by now."

"Oh please, Professor McCoy!" She gestured outside. "It's not even dark yet! I won't be gone long, just for an hour or two, and I have my cell phone if anything goes wrong. I'm not even going that far."

"Hmmm, you raise some good points, Rosaline," he said, thoughtfully cupping his chin with one hand, the pointer finger extended diagonally under his bottom lip. "And where are you going, anyway?"

She blanched. "Um, well…"

"I'm not letting you go anywhere if you don't let me know where you're going."

"Well…okay, I'm going to a restaurant near Moe's Hotel to have dinner with a friend."

He studied her for a minute, and she had no idea what he was thinking. She was sure he wasn't going to believe her and make her tell Professor X, in which case she'd be forbidden to leave, and Masque would think she had stood her up. For some reason this really, really upset her.

"All right. Let me tell the Professor, and I'll get someone to drive you."

"…Are you quite serious?"

He smiled. "If you're going to leave, it'd be a lot safer if you didn't have to walk there, don't you think?"

Relieved, Rosie jumped forward to hug him around the neck. "Oh thank you!"

He laughed, surprised at her. "You are welcome. Now come on, we need to find you a ride."

…..

Fifteen minutes later, Rogue and Rosaline pulled up in front of the Restaurant, which was really a little diner called 'the Quarter Moon.' Rogue stopped the motorcycle outside the door and looked over her shoulder as Rosie pried the helmet from her head.

"Are you sure y'all'll be okay?"

"I'm sure. Thanks Rogue. I'll call you when I need a ride again."

"Hey, don' thank me. Thank whatever forces that made Wolverine like me enough to lend me his motorcycle."

She slid off the seat, turning and looking curiously at her. "I thought we stole it."

"Somehow, he always knows when I take it." She shrugged. "Its nothin' ta worry about."

"Okay. See you then."

"Yup." She revved the engine, and grinned. "Have fun."

"You too. Say hi to Gambit for me."

As she walked away, she couldn't see Rogue's expression, but she was sure it was surprised and a bit annoyed that Day would have told anyone about him.

Inside the diner, she got a table for two where she could see the door, telling the waiter that she was expecting someone. Sitting down, she began to feel nervous. She really had no idea why she had asked Masque to meet her here. Things were going to be awkward, but hopefully once they got the 'I don't believe you tried to kill my brother anymore, sorry' conversation out of the way, things would be better. She sighed, telling herself that this would be a good distraction from the day's events. Besides, she wanted to get to know this girl better.

What seemed like an eternity later, the bell above the door announced its opening, and Masque came into view. She wore the same trench coat she wore the night they met and in the alley. It hung open over a black turtleneck and loose dark jeans, thick boots hidden under them. Her blue hair hung wet in her eyes, and she looked around, her hands shoved into her pockets. Rosaline waved to her and got her attention. Their eyes met, and for a second, time stopped.

Masque broke their contact and walked forward, passing a waitress that had expected to need to seat her. She sat down across from her, smiling, and Rosaline smiled back.

_"Hi."_

"Hi," she replied, feeling even more nervous. "Thanks for coming."

_"No problem."_ She shrugged off her trench coat, and Rosie could see hints of her muscle under the folding fabric. She tried not to stare.

The diner wasn't busy, so their waiter was quick about getting menus. When he asked what they wanted to drink, Masque shook her head, letting Rosaline order alone.

"You aren't thirsty?" she asked.

_"I am, but I don't think it'd be taken well if he heard my voice and didn't see my lips move. Besides, he'd feel me inside his head, not in his ears."_

"Oh. Sorry about asking that on the phone, I shouldn't have."

_"No, its okay. I'm glad I know so I can avoid any surrounding issues in the future."_

She smiled. "Okay."

They sat in relative silence for a while, staring at their menus with their minds miles away. Neither of them really knew what to do, as this was a very random meeting, even though both of them wanted to be there. Rosie had to keep reminding herself that this wasn't a date, knowing full well anyone watching them would swear it was. Masque just wondered why she was having such good fortune for once.

"Have you decided?" the blonde girl asked, noticing their waiter eyeing them impatiently.

_"I think so,"_ she replied.

"Okay. Uh, do you want me to order for you? I mean, you could do it yourself and just mouth the words while you think them, but if you want me to…"

_"I hadn't thought of that. Huh….can you order for me anyway?"_

"Sure."

She pointed out what she wanted on the menu, and Rosie nodded, looking over at the waiter again. He came over and asked if they were ready, to which she ordered for both of them. If he thought it was odd that she did, he didn't say so. She also asked for a drink for Masque, which he promised would be out soon, and left.

_"You didn't have to do that,"_ she said.

"You don't like soda?"

_"No, I do, and that's my favorite, but... Never mind."_

Feeling she had done something wrong, the small girl leaned forward. "No, what is it?"

Masque shrugged, now embarrassed. _"I'm just not used to people treating me like this."_

"Oh."

Silence reigned again, neither of them having any idea what to say. They looked around, focusing on anything but each other, wanting to look at nothing else. Finally Rosaline put down the twisted straw wrapper she had been playing with and tried to make conversation.

"So, Masque, I know this is a bit weird and I don't know if you even expected me to respond, but I wanted to say I'm sorry. What happened to my brother and what everyone thinks about it is really strained and it was ridiculous of any of us to think it was your fault. Especially me."

_"It's all right,"_ she assured her. _"I know it must have been really strange to see me rush out just as the car sped towards him. I don't blame you."_

She nodded. "Well, I just wanted to let you know that I believe you."

She smiled. _"Thanks."_

It was silent again for a bit, but Rosie refused to let it be that awkward again, and decided to keep talking. "So, what's up with the mind-talk? Why can't you speak?"

Masque hesitated, then craned her neck and pointed to a scar that ran across the place her vocal cords should be. _"When I was little, my father ripped out my voice, and I haven't uttered a sound since. I haven't been able to speak at all, not until this morning. If I had been able to I'd have told you it wasn't my fault way before now."_

Her features softened. "Are all your scars from him?"

She nodded. _"Yeah." _Then she kept going, though she wasn't sure why._ "My mother died when I was born, and he raised me. He was abusive from the first, I don't remember it any differently. I lost my voice before I learned how to talk, but I would go to the library all the time when I was old enough, and taught myself to read and write. For some reason, no one ever did anything about what was happening to me, though new injuries were there every day….Anyway, once my powers manifested, I ran away, and I've been on the run ever since."_

"What happened?"

She hesitated. She had never told anyone what happened, but this girl urged it all out of her just by looking in her eyes. She wanted her to know_ "Well…I was 8, and he was beating me again. It was really bad this time, and I thought he was going to kill me. Then my power manifested and I manifested them." _She paused, looking around. Everyone else in the restaurant was too busy to even notice them._ "I used my power to reach into his mind and make him kill himself."_

She expected the girl across from her to scream or be disgusted, thinking she had lied to her about her brother too, but instead she reached across the table to take her hand. Rosaline could feel the scars there too. She didn't think what Masque had done was wrong, maybe her sense of revenge was too well developed. Besides that, she understood what it was to kill someone in order to save yourself.

Masque smiled back, continuing to hold her hand, and went on. _"After that, I gathered what I could and took off. I've been living on my own ever since. I came here because my second power, the precog, told me your brother was in danger. But you know that already."_

She nodded.

_"I bet all of this is a bit much. I shouldn't have told you all of that, should I?"_

"No, I'm glad you told me." She cleared her throat a bit, then started her story. "I'm a plant mutant, I mean, I can control plants, and I feel for them. I've always really liked plants, but my power really manifested when…when I was attacked, and I used it to protect myself." She took a deep breath. "I'm a lesbian."

_"I am too."_

"Really?"

_"Really."_

"Good," she sighed, then blushed. "I mean, that's good, er, I mean, maybe I should have guessed because of last night, I mean…oh never mind."

She laughed. _"It's okay. So anyway…"_

"Right. I just came out to you because it had something to do with my power, I promise. When I came out back home I was met with a bad response, which got violent really fast, and eventually I got assaulted by three guys from my school. They beat me up really bad, and…they were going to rape me, I think, but my power manifested and plants reacted and tore them off of me. It was amazing. One of them was hurt so bad that he died, and once I got better, my parents sent me and my brother here."

_"…Wow."_

She let out another long breath. "I know."

Masque squeezed Rosaline's hand again. _"Well, I'm glad you're here."_

She blushed. "Me too."

She smiled back. _"Do you think it's odd that we opened up to each other like this?"_

"Maybe," she admitted. "But I wanted you to know, for some reason."

"_Me too."_

"Do you think that's odd?"

"_No, and I don't know why."_

She smiled, and changed the subject. "So what happened this morning?"

_"Well, I don't know if you know anything about the Brotherhood House, but the father of two of my housemates showed up. They're all mutants too, and so is he. His name's Magneto."_

She nodded, having no idea who he was.

_"Well, he brought another mutant with him, who apparently had the ability to give me this kind of speech. I'm not sure how it works, really, but apparently people can hear my thoughts in the same people can hear voices. I played with it a bit earlier, too, and I can still think like normal, using it as speech only when I want to. It's actually pretty cool."_

"I bet." She sat back. "It's nice, actually being able to talk to you."

_"I know."_ She smiled, still holding onto her hand.

Their food arrived, along with Masque's drink, and they ate their meal over much more pleasant conversation. Masque learned that Rosie like fantasy, and read a lot, and was Wiccan, which she had to explain in detail, and about her family and the Institute. Rosie learned that Masque liked Italian and pillows, and read lot too, and about her travels and how hard life was. They looked into each other lives and went deeper, wanting more. Even after there were no more fries and their ice cream had melted.

When they finally got up to leave, neither of them felt nervous anymore. Rosaline called Rogue, and they stood outside waiting for her to show up. Conversation lingered and stopped, and for a moment, they just looked at each other.

"Masque?"

_"Yeah?"_

Rosie licked her lips. "Why did you kiss me?"

Not prepared for that, Masque opened her mouth as if to speak, then closed it, thinking_. "I'm not really sure. Maybe I just thought you were beautiful, and you'd look even more beautiful when you weren't crying."_

Suddenly Rosaline was very, very glad that it had gotten dark, knowing that meant she probably couldn't see how red her face was. "Oh…"

_"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have."_

"No, its okay…I…"

They stood there a moment, things awkward again. Then suddenly, without letting herself think about it, Rosaline stepped up to Masque and grabbed the collar of her trench coat, gently pulling her closer and pressing their lips together again. It was quick, ending less than a second after it started, and she stepped back again, even redder.

"There. Now we're even."

Masque stood stunned for a moment, then laughed, and reached for her again. They drew together and kissed again without surprise, this one longer and even more sweet. Neither could think of anything that felt better and wanted more, always.

They tore apart as a horn blared behind them. There sat Rogue, her helmet visor open to reveal a smirk. "Well hi there."

"Hi," Rosaline blushed. "Um, one second." She looked back up at Masque. "I guess I better go."

_"Yeah."_ She reached to tuck a stray hand of straw-colored hair behind her ear, running her hand along her cheek. _"When do I get to see you again?"_

"Soon. Very soon."

She smiled. _"All right. Call me, okay?"_

"I will." She stepped back, squeezing her hand and letting it slide out of her fingers. "Goodnight Masque."

_"It's Madison."_

"What?"

Masque smiled at her, blushing too. _"My name. It's really Madison."_

Now grinning, Rosie nodded. "All right…Madison."

She waved and hopped on the back of the motorcycle, pulling on the extra helmet and holding on as Rogue sped away. Masque stood in place and watched her until they were out of sight. Just as they were vanishing around a bend, her power suddenly kicked in, and she saw a cloud of death around them. For a moment, she panicked, sure that they were going to crash. Then she thought, and realized the feeling meant something that hadn't happened yet, and it was vague. It might not have even been attached to either of them, there were still other people around. Not that she wanted anything to happen to anyone, but if Rosie was safe…

She pulled her coat tighter around herself, turning to walk away. Maybe she was wrong. And if she wasn't, she could prevent it. She had to believe that.

…….

Author's note: Two updates in a 24-hour time period? What? Mwahahaha. I hope you all liked this combination of fluff and impending doom. The respective pasts of both Masque and Rosie will be revisited later, in better detail, but there are the layman's terms of both of them. And I hope I wrote that whole scene good enough, it's been a long time since I've been on a first date. Anyway, please enjoy and look for more!


	11. They Deal

Triangle

By Lady Comet

Disclaimer: I own only my own brainchildren. Everything else I'm just borrowing and bending to my will

…….

Triangle

Part 10 – They Deal

…

The next day, despite everyone's expectations, Rosaline was downstairs and ready for school before anyone else. They all stared at her over breakfast, but she ignored him. If she let anything get to her, even them, her whole resolve was going to fail and she would crack again. She wasn't going to let that happen.

After talking to Masque about her past, she had realized that despite what had happened she was still pretty lucky, and could make change in her life. She wasn't worthless or deserving of what people said to her in hate. She had every right to be happy…and to fight back. Besides, Masque seemed to think she was worth something.

Blushing, she shoved another new notebook into her schoolbag. She would be all right.

She, Day, and the New Recruits headed off to school together, walking as fast as they could. Most everyone else had driven on ahead, and those who hadn't were going to be late anyway. As they walked, she noticed them still watching her, but she brushed it off as she talked to her brother.

"Oh come on, I know something happened," he insisted as she finished telling him about the previous night. "She kissed you in the alley, remember? Something has to be going on."

Before she could answer, Jubilee let out a disgusted noise and turned to glare at them. "Do you have any idea how disgusting you are?" she spat.

"What about you?" Day shot back. "Mind your own business."

"Come on Jubes," Bobby said, trying to urge her away from them. She slid away from him.

"You know, Rosaline, just because we've all agreed to support you doesn't mean we don't think you're sick," he hissed, trying to get closer to her.

Rosie shrank back a bit, and as she did, Day stepped closer to Jubilee. "Sick, huh? Well maybe you're the illness."

She bristled. "Oh really?"

"There's nothing wrong with loving differently," he continued. An evil grin spread across his face, and he stopped walking, pressing up against Ray as he walked into him. He quickly managed to arrange his body in a very suggestive manner, leaning into the panicking boy and looking sideways at the fuming Asian. "…don't you think so, Ray?"

"Gah! Um, I…er….," he stammered, looking for a way out. "Could you please get off me?"

Jubilee was so disturbed by his display, all she could do was stare in shock, then gurgle a sound of complete revulsion and storm off after Bobby. Day laughed, apologizing to Ray, and looked back at Rosaline. To his relief, she was laughing too.

"Come on, sis," he said, linking crutches with her. "Let's go on with pride in our sickness."

She grinned back. "Of course."

…..

Later that day, at lunch, the siblings sat off to the side alone. Rosaline didn't want to deal with the hassle of wondering what everyone else thought, and Day still wanted answers about the previous night. Besides, they were both having a difficult time now. They needed each other.

Under the shade of an oak tree, Rosie inhaled her sandwich. "There's still nothing to tell."

Day put down his drink. "Oh come on. Your attitude is completely different from last night, and anyway, I haven't seen you this happy in a long time. Something important had to have happened."

She sighed. "All right, fine. But all of this stays here. Understand?"

He grinned. "Spill it, girl."

"Wait…" she said suddenly, watching the lack of anger on his face. "Aren't you bothered by any of this?"

The grin faded. "Meaning…?"

"I thought you thought Masque tried to kill you, and I know you're not happy that she kidnapped me the other night. So why your sudden change in attitude?"

"Well, because even if I'm not happy, you are. And no matter what I think, seeing you happy right now is all that matters."

Tears swelled into her eyes, her smile threatening to spill them down her cheeks. She leaned forward and hugged her brother tight. He sat in surprise, but hugged her back.

"Thank you," she whispers. "I have no idea how I'd survive out here without you."

"You'd survive, Rosie. You always do."

She let him go and sat back down. "…Well, anyway. When I said we talked over dinner, we did talk, but we basically told each other our life stories, and about what we liked, everything. I don't believe she tried to kill you Masque, or even hurt you. She was there trying to save you."

"I know you don't. I'm still working on that. That's not what I want to know, anyway."

"All right. I suppose you want to know the 'juicy bits,' right?"

He grinned. "Of course, well, unless you had sex. That I don't need to hear about, cause I don't have a shotgun."

She glared at him. "Funny. And no, we didn't have sex."

"What happened then?"

"Well, we kissed again. I asked her why she kissed me in the first place, and she basically kissed me because she thought I was beautiful." As this, he snickered, and she threw her bag of chips at him. "Anyway, I braved myself and kissed her, and we ended up making out until Rogue arrived and interrupted us."

"Yeah, she told me something happened, though she wouldn't tell me what and seemed very amused about it. Turns out I spent too much time listening to her angst about Gambit and couldn't come bother you about this last night."

Rosaline nodded, trying to steal her chips back. "How are they doing anyway?"

"No better. It's gotta be hard when you can't touch."

"Yeah…" Victorious, she sat back down, and ripped the bag open. "By the way, what's going on with you and Wanda? We didn't really get to talk about that after you rescued me."

"Oh, right." He looked down at the ground, his meal becoming unappetizing now that his thoughts turned to her. "Things are very complicated."

"How so?"

"She's still pissed at me for going into her mind, for one thing. I unlocked something very dark that she didn't want to remember, and not bits and pieces of it are torturing her. She wants me to fix it, but I can't, and I don't know what to do."

"She doesn't have any idea what the images are?"

He shook his head. "No. And you know, I could handle it if she was just mad at me, people have been pissed at me before. But when we were in the graveyard the other day –"

"The graveyard?" she asked, surprised. "Why were you in the graveyard?"

"She keeps a map buried there. I know, weird. Anyway, when we were in there, she got pissed and slammed me up against a tombstone, screaming at me about what I did and all that. Then all of a sudden she kissed me."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. She doesn't know why she did it either."

Rosie smirked. "Maybe you're just that sexy."

He laughed. "Yeah okay. I don't usually merit that reaction from people."

"Well, she liked you before you pissed her off. Maybe she's a bit messed up about that. She doesn't exactly look like the easiest girl to figure out."

"I know." Sighing, he ran his hands though his hair, absentmindedly massaging the back of his neck. "I don't know what to do. I feel like it's hopeless."

She patted him on the back. "You know, maybe it's a sign that you should give up on women entirely."

"Ha ha ha, very funny. Then there'd be no boys to date anyway. Looks like you're the first dyke to set foot in the school."

"Untrue. Tabby and Amara were together way before we got here, whether they realized it or not."

"Hm, true." Day stretched, collecting his garbage. "We'd better get going. The period's going to be over soon."

She nodded, beginning to gather her things as well. When they were both ready, she stood up and helped him to stand and get on his crutches, heading towards the door and throwing away their garbage.

As they entered the building, Day turned to her and asked, "Do you think things will really work out for us here?"

Rosaline thought for a moment, then smiled. "That's up to us."

He smiled too, and they parted, heading for class.

…..

Meanwhile, Tabitha and Amara sat at their own table, also having opted to eat without everyone else. They didn't know where the rest of the New Recruits were, and they didn't really care. Both of them needed a break from Jubilee's homophobic antics.

"What do you think we should do?" Amara asked through bites of her salad.

Tabby sighed. "I don't know. You see how everyone's acting, if we told them we're together, they'd act even worse."

"But they're going to find out eventually," she insisted. "Maybe its better to tell them now and get everything over with. At least we have an easy way to bring it up."

"How?"

"The next time Jubilee starts bashing gays, we could counter by coming out."

Tabitha laughed. "No way. She'd chop off our heads."

Amara frowned, putting down her fork. "You know, usually you'd go for the most shocking and scandalous thing. Why not now?"

"Because," she said, poking at her food. "I like trouble, but trouble isn't what I want right now. We just got together, 'Mara, and I'm really happy for the first time in a while. For now I wanna just be 'us.' We can deal with the angst later."

Carefully, her girl reached over to touch her hand, rubbing her thumb over the skin. "I know. Maybe you're right. We'll wait until things boil over."

She put her hand on top of hers. "Thank you."

Amara nodded. "Do you think Rosie's going to be okay?"

Tabby smirked. "Judging by Day's display earlier, I think so."

…..

Later, the bell rang and Rosaline strode out of class, just as confident as she had been that morning. Nothing had really happened all day, aside from a few insults and odd stares, which she kept ignoring. Maybe things were going to be all right after all.

She thought too quickly. When she turned into a hallway that wasn't very crowded, a group of girls rushed into her, bumping her against a set of lockers. She bounced back, standing straight, and stared at them. They were all popular girls, headed by a tall blonde with strong features and too much make-up. She stood facing her, hands on her hips and distaste on her face.

"Hey, you dyke freak," she hissed. "You must think it pretty brave to show your face here again."

Rosaline didn't let herself back down. "I go to school here. Of course I came back."

"Looks like you're not very smart then," she said. Aggressively, she stepped forward. "You think things are going to be okay if you wait them out? Wrong! You're sick, and we don't like your kind here, gays or mutants! You're a freak and you don't deserve to even breathe our air!"

A couple of the girls voice their assent, urging her on. Rosie frowned.

"Oh really?" she countered. "Well you know, most people who act this way towards people who are different, do so out of fear. Fear that they might be different too. So before you say _I'm_ a freak, you'd better look at yourselves."

She tried to walk away, but the tall girl grabbed her by the shoulder and shoved her back into the lockers. "Excuse me! Are you suggesting that I'm a dyke, or, or a mutant!"

She shrugged, glaring at her. "I'm just stating a fact."

The girl growled. "The only reason you'd suggest that, you dyke, was because you wanted me!" She shoved her, backing up but remaining aggressive. "Well, stay the fuck away from me, or a _man_ will teach you why shouldn't want women."

"Oh please," she groaned, crossing her arms in front of her. "Even I'm not desperate enough to want you."

By the look the girl's face it could have easily come to blows over those words, but at that moment Kitty and Rahne came upon the scene. Rahne rushed to make sure Rosaline was okay, while Kitty walked up to the girls.

"You should know better than to pick on mutants," she grinned. "We travel in packs."

They all snarled, looking much the same, and backed away. "This isn't over!" their leader shouted. With that, they hurried off, still complaining in loud voices.

Kitty walked back to Rosie and Rahne. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she reassured them. "Thank you."

"What did ye do t'make them do mad?" Rahne asked.

She smiled. "I stood up for myself…it felt good."

Kitty smiled back. "Good job. No one's stood up to Angela Matthews that much in a long time."

"Thanks."

"Listen, Rosaline," Rahne started, looking a bit embarrassed, "I just want ye' to know tha' I don't think anything's wrong about ye, or bad, or anythin'. Jubilee's off her rocker and does not speak of all o' us."

She sighed, and smiled, placing a hand on Rahne's shoulder. "Thank you."

"Me too," said Kitty. "This doesn't change how I view you at all, Rosie. You're my friend and I'll look out for you no matter what."

Hearing this, and knowing that she was indeed strong enough to defend herself, Rosaline felt a lot better. "Thank you," she said again, hugging them both. "It really means a lot."

They all headed off to class, and for the rest of the day, Rosie drifted happily in her confidence. Things were really different. She was afraid, but things were going to be okay after all.

…..

Miles away, at the Brotherhood of Bayville Boarding House, Masque lay on her bed staring blankly at the ceiling as she lost herself in her thoughts. She kept running over the events of last night, remembering every detail in a mix of happiness and surprise. She had never told anyone about herself before; whenever anyone heard bits of it, she was always rejected, so no one knew the truth except her. Now Rosaline did, and Rosaline accepted her. She made her feel like her life didn't have to be hard, that it could get better…that she could be loved.

Her thoughts turned to her mother as she remembered what she had lost. Would it have been different if her mother hadn't died bringing her into the world? She didn't know, and she never let herself hope. She didn't even think about why her father hated her so much. Even though she knew, somehow, that it was wrong to have killed him, every day she thanked whatever power protected her that her body had gotten desperate enough to bring about her power. It had saved her life. She remembered her childish fear when she watched her desire happening, her father's body turning his knife on himself, freeing her in his death. It looked like he had killed himself, and though she knew this, she still left in a panic. She had no idea what could have happened if she had stayed. Maybe they would have found out that she was a mutant and she would have been locked up, or studied. Maybe she would have been placed in the care of foster parents, or in an orphanage. Her life had been hard, and she thought about the other possibilities, but she had survived as it was.

She knew that the hardship she endured had led her here, and without it, she might not be in Bayville and she might not have met her. For the first time, she felt that everything was worth it. She might finally have something to live for.

A knock on her door jarred her back to reality, and she almost got up before she remembered she could speak. _"Enter,"_ she called with her mind, oddly satisfied.

The door opened to reveal Wanda, carrying an empty CD case. "Masque, have you seen my copy of 'American Idiot?' It seems to have vanished."

"_No. What is 'American Idiot?'"_

Wanda stared at her. "Well, if you help me find it, I'll let you listen to it too. And I'll subject you to more good music, as it seems you need it."

"_You want to spend time with me?"_

She shrugged. "We're the only girls in the house. We might as well bond…or something." Almost not believing herself, she looked back at her, pushing the door open a little more. "So. Deal?"

Masque grinned, pushing herself up and heading out of her room. _"Deal."_

…..

Author's note: Third chapter in one day, yay! Sorry if this seems a little off, I'm a bit tired. This might seem like a filler chapter, but I promise it's necessary for the flow of the story. I know everything seems good now, but I promise angst is to come. Better prepare yourselves, its going to get more disturbing than you realize. As usual, thanks and please keep reading!


	12. They Act

Triangle

By Lady Comet

Disclaimer: I own only my own brainchildren. Everything else I'm just borrowing and bending to my will

…….

Triangle

Part 11 – They Act

…

_Dear diary,_

_It's been two months now since Day and I arrived at Xavier's school. Things are getting much better, even though I was afraid it would all be the same. I don't know where my strength came from but its here and I'm surviving. I've even started gaining weight again._

_Day's leg has healed, so he's better too. He's still having problems with Wanda because of what happened, but he keeps trying. Every time he gets closer to her she starts remembering whatever he unlocked in her mind, and she pushes him away. I'm a little worried for him, she's really messed up. He might get hurt. _

_Things at "normal" school haven't changed much, though I am sticking up for myself. I still get harassed just as much as I did when this all started, and no one has done anything to stop it, but on the bright side it hasn't gotten any worse either. At least everyone at the Institute is being really awesome about it. Except Jubilee, of course, but I usually just ignore her. They've even stopped thinking that Madison's responsible for what happened to Day, well, mostly, but almost everyone's been really accepting._

_Of course, there's not much to tell there anyway. We've gotten a bit more…intimate, but nothing serious, and we haven't used the 'g' world yet either. We're both pretty messed up, but it works in a very weird need-to-be-medicated kind of way. I don't know, we just get each other. Anyway, on a completely random note, we've figured out even more about her mind-speak and how it works. We should have realized it before, like the first time I called her, but oh well. It turns out not only can she single out just one person (as in having only them hear her), but she has a HUGE range…thus being able to talk to me on the phone. Otherwise, everyone between the Brotherhood house and the Mansion would have heard her, or she wouldn't have been able to reach me in the first place. I'll tell you one thing, it comes in very handy when we need to speak in a group of people who wouldn't appreciate what we have to say._

_I haven't been able get her to come here to visit me yet, and I haven't been to the Brotherhood house either. Maybe the fact that our teams are at war with each other contributes to that. I dunno. It's not like either of us has done battle anyway, I know she actively avoids having to work like that with her housemates. I'll keep trying though. I want everyone to meet her._

_Things haven't gone exactly as I planned, but I think I may be really happy for the first time. I think it's going to work out here after all._

Rosaline closed her journal, smiling, and placed it back on her shelf between the Greek Myths and Harry Potter. She glanced over at the clock, and seeing what time it was, hurried to grab her phone and her shoes. She was going to be late.

…..

Angela Matthews slammed her fist down on the table. "It's not working!" she shouted. "We have to think of something better!"

Gathered around her living room, her friends looked nervously at each other. She had called them here to discuss how to better attack that mutant dyke, Rosaline Jackson, but even they thought she was getting a little carried away. Most of them, at least. Her boyfriend-of-the-week and her brother, and his girlfriend Taryn, all supported her fully and shared her passion. The rest of them were just there because if they stood up against her, they'd be outcasts too.

"What else can we do?" one of them asked. "Nothing we've done has done anything, and as much as Kelly loves us, if we do anything else to her we'll definitely get in trouble."

"Really?" Duncan asked, eyeing the girl down. "Kelly loves you guys as much as he loved us. I think you'd get away with anything you do." Taryn nodded in consent.

"Short of killing her, maybe," another of the boys added.

Angela's expression changed as if a light bulb had gone off in her dusty brain. "That's it!"

"What's it?" one of the girls asked.

A very wicked grin spread across her plain features. "Boys, I believe I need your help for this. And I promise…you will be _well _rewarded."

…..

Rosaline and Masque met at the tree between the Brotherhood house and the mansion, which had magically come back to life ever since they first met there. From there, they didn't have far to walk before they got to their specially picked spot, immediately unpacking and settling down to eat.

As they had their picnic, they looked out at the lake and talked, appreciating the chance to be alone in such a beautiful place. They talked about the day's events and what else had happened since they last saw each other, which wasn't too long ago. The food didn't last long and neither did the conversation, but they didn't need words all the time. All they wanted then was to be together.

After a while, Masque reached into her pocket and pulled something out, her hand closed around it so Rosaline couldn't see what it was.

_"Close your eyes,"_ she said.

She did. Moments later, she felt her companion reach around her head and slip something over it, lifting her hair to pull something snugly around her neck.

_"All right, you can look now."_

Rosie opened her eyes and looked down to see a pendant resting on her chest, hung on a silver chain. She smiled widely, picking it up to look at it closer. It was two purple stones overlapping each other vertically, the bottom one slightly bigger, both very flat and held on the chain by a small hoop.

"Oh Madison," she said. "You didn't have to."

_"I know,"_ she replied.

Rosaline leaned forward to kiss her, letting the necklace fall back in its rightful place. "…Thank you."

She blushed. _"Well, it comes with a question."_

"What?"

Masque gathered her courage, taking both of Rosaline's hands in hers. _"Will you go out with me? I mean, really go out with me…as girlfriends?"_

She sat still for a moment, then let out a laugh and wrapped her arms around her, kissing her deeply. "Of course," she said as they briefly parted. "I already am."

Her now-official girlfriend grinned, and kissed her again. Time stopped for a while and there was nothing but them, neither would have had it any other way.

Eventually they let go, holding each other gently as they watched the sunlight reflected on the lake.

"You don't get a view like this at the Institute," mused Rosie.

_"Hm?"_

"Oh, on part of the Institute grounds you can see the lake too, but not like this. It's not as pretty." She snuggled deeper into Masque's arms. "Or as comfy."

She laughed. _"Really?"_

"Mm-hm. …Madison?"

_"Yeah?"_

"Will you come back to the mansion with me? To visit?"

Masque sat up, not really surprised. _"I…"_

"You don't have to if you don't want to," she continued, also sitting up, "but you know I want you to meet everyone, and see where I live, and all that. You've never really seen Day either, aside from that one night, and I know he wants to meet you again. Please?"

_"Are you saying that your brother has no issues with me anymore?"_

"…Well, no, but he doesn't believe you tried to attack him anymore and he's only worried about me. But I know if he meets you, he'll be better, and he's gonna love you I promise."

She looked back out at the lake, thinking. Technically, she was a member of the Brotherhood, and the X-men hated them. Not everyone could have stopped blaming her for what happened, either, no matter what Rosaline said. Those two things combined should be enough to keep her away. However, when she came here to rescue Day from that car, she had hoped to be accepted at the Institute too, hoping there she could find home with others like her. No matter what was going on now, somehow that hope still lived within her.

She turned back to look at her girlfriend, knowing in an instant how happy this would make her too. She smiled. _"…Okay."_

"Really?"

_"Really."_

Overjoyed, Rosie almost knocked her over in an embrace, kissing her again. That alone made it worth it, she told herself, and they started to pack up. As soon as they were done, off they went, the short blonde chattering excitedly as they walked.

The mansion was relatively empty for a Saturday afternoon, so no one really noticed as they entered. Masque looked around, marveling at the size of it. Grinning, Rosaline led her through the halls, heading for the kitchen to drop off their dirt dishes before taking her on a full tour.

As they got closer, suddenly a voice sounded behind them. "Rosaline?"

She turned around to see Storm coming out of a room on their left, looking a bit confused and concerned. "Oh, hi," she said. "Madison, this is Ororo Munroe."

"Hello," the weather witch smiled.

"And this is Madison…my girlfriend."

_"Hi."_

Storm studied her carefully. "You are the girl who saved Day that night, am I correct?"

Masque nodded, relieved that this woman was friendly.

She smiled again. "Welcome to the Institute. We're glad you have come."

_"Thank you."_

Waving goodbye, Rosie dragged her off before anything else could be said, eager to get on the tour. Storm shook her head at them, then turned to go find the Professor and tell him of their guest.

It took less than a minute to get rid of their picnic leftovers. That done, Rosaline took Masque back out to the main hall, having decided it best to start from there. She took her all over the school, through the dormitories, living room, library, dining room, and even Storm's greenhouse garden upstairs. Masque didn't ask about the lower levels where the team really operated out of, which she was glad for. The Professor definitely wouldn't be happy if she showed her those.

They walked down the dormitory hall again to go back downstairs, and as they did, Day stepped out of his room behind them. "Rosie?"

She jumped. "Jeez, Day, you scared me!"

"Sorry," he said, though inside he was definitely smirking. His eyes settled on Masque and he smiled, though his posture immediately became defensive. She was sure he would have stepped closer to his sister if it wouldn't have been obvious. "Hey…"

_"Hi,"_ she replied.

"Oh, um…" Rosaline blushed, then straightened herself and moved closer to her. "You remember Madison, right?"

"Of course." He stuck out his hand for her to shake, and she did, although it was very awkward. "Looks like you got her to come here after all."

His twin nodded quickly. "Finally, right? And, well…" She picked up the pendant around her neck and twirled it between her fingers, holding it out for him to see. "We're dating now."

He feigned surprise, then smiled. "Congrats."

_"Thanks,"_ Masque said, gathering her confidence again. _"Day, you know, I'm sorry for what happened. I hope you believe it wasn't my fault."_

He blinked a couple times and then sighed heavily. "I know it wasn't. I'm sorry too. Guess I've been a bit of an idiot, worrying about my sister and all."

_"I understand. She's easy to get worried about."_

"Hey!" Rosie piped up.

Masque and Day laughed together, which was a very welcome thing. Rosie smiled. Things were going even better than she expected.

They all went downstairs together, walking around until they reached the gardens, where Rosaline insisted they stop. As they went through the doors she shrugged off her sandals, smiling at the other over her shoulder as she left them behind. Masque moved to follow her, but Day stopped her, nodding in his sister's direction. "Don't. You should watch her dance."

She did watch, and was awed by what happened. As always the flowers and plants turned as she walked and spun around them, bending to help with her power where anything needed it. The tips of her hair turned green again, climbing higher than before, and her eyes became a rich brown. She was off in her own world and it was beautiful to see.

"You know, she didn't used to be so thin," Day said, regaining her attention.

_"What do you mean?"_

"Before she came out she had more weight on her, more substance, I guess. Some might have said she was 'pudgy' or something but I thought they were full of shit. Then she came out at school, and shit hit the fan." His expression grew more serious, still staring at his twin. "They started harassing her for being gay, and when it wasn't enough, they attacked her for her entire image. She was too quiet, too mousy, a freak, too fat, not 'girl' enough, all on top of what they had already done. So she started hating herself, and eventually stopped eating as much."

As much as Masque knew about her girlfriend's past, she hadn't expected this. Rosie had never told her what the abuse at school was like. She turned her gaze to her brother, expecting more, maybe a better reason why. He met her gaze, still set in his grim expression, and shook his head.

"I know. But don't worry, she never put herself in any danger and she never stopped eating entirely. She just didn't want to anymore. I think maybe she didn't tell you because you've been through so much –"

_"She told you about that?"_

"Not with gory details, but some of it." He looked back out at his sister again, and so did she. "Anyway, everyone noticed when she started dropping pounds, but instead of the positive reaction one might have expected it only got worse. She started being sexually harassed and her sexuality came up front again. Then it got really bad, but I know you know about that."

In the distance, Rosaline laughed and played with the vines of a nearby willow tree as they twirled around her. It was hard for Masque to imagine her being so miserable in the past. Was it all a façade now? She turned again to Day, another question burning in her mind.

_"Why didn't she tell me?"_

Day shrugged, pretending to have no real idea. "I don't know. Like I said, maybe because you've been through so many horrible things. Maybe she didn't want to burden you with this too, or she didn't think her problems measured up to yours." He smiled, chuckling a bit. "Sounds like her, anyway."

She nodded, sadly, and returned to stare at the young woman in the garden, now lost deep in thought.

_"Do you think she'll be okay?"_

"I hope so." He tilted his head toward her. "Of course, I think you help in that department. And even though I want to protect her, I have to admit that she's been a lot better since she found you. …Thank you for that."

She smiled, feeling better at his words. _"Anytime."_

A few feet away, Xavier and Wolverine stood watching them, careful not to alert them to their presence.

"Are you sure its safe havin' her here, Chuck?" Logan asked.

"I think so, Logan," he replied. "We know that she wasn't responsible for the attack on Day, and if she was going to harm any of us, she would have done so already. Besides, she and Rosaline appear to genuinely care about each other." He smiled up at him. "And if we were willing to let Lance know our secrets, I think we may as well take the risk with her."

He grumbled a response, neither positive nor negative.

"I'm glad to see that they're fitting in well here. They've been through a lot."

Logan quirked an eyebrow. "All three of 'em?"

Xavier shook his head. "I meant Rosaline and Day, but I suppose it could apply to Masque as well. She appears to have had a difficult life. I hope someday she decides to come to us as well. I think we could help her."

This time, the Wolverine grumbled his assent, and they headed back down the hallway before they could be discovered.

…..

Later, after Rosaline and Masque had gone off alone again, Day stood pacing in his room. Every few moments he stopped and stared at his cell phone on his desk, then went back to pacing. Finally, he bit his lip and picked it up, dialing a series of numbers very quickly, lest he change his mind.

After all, the last time he had called her, she hung up before he had a chance to ask her out again.

It rang a couple times, then the receiver picked up. He held his breath.

"Hello?"

He sighed with extreme relief. "Wanda."

"…Day."

"Hi."

"Hi."

There was silence for a moment, then he shook his head, amazed at his own idiocy. "Listen, are you doing anything right now?"

"Not really?"

"Can we meet?"

"…Why?"

"Because I haven't seen you in a while, and I want to." He paused. "And I think you want to see me too."

She didn't respond.

"…Wanda?"

"I'm here." Far away, he heard her let out a long breath. "Okay. Right now?"

"If that works."

"It does."

"The cemetery?"

"As always."

"Okay. I'll meet you there in….half an hour?" he asked.

"Why don't we just meet there when we're ready?"

"Um, so we don't think the other has stood us up?"

"Damn. You ruin all my fun."

He smirked. "Many apologies."

"Whatever. See you soon, okay?"

"Okay. Bye." He hung up, getting nervous again. Their relationship had been so…odd ever since it started. Every time they saw each other, they would always end up arguing about what happened in her mind, then start randomly making out. Not the he minded the latter, he just wanted them to be more functional sometimes. He could count the number of times they had been entirely civil to each other on one hand.

Still, he hoped he hadn't fucked everything up too much.

It was still daylight, so he had no trouble getting out, just saying that he was going for a walk. Technically he was, just a very long one with a very big break in the middle, he told himself. He got there quickly, and sat down at the base of the tree in the middle, resigning himself to wait.

He didn't have to. She showed up seconds later, surprised to see him early. He smiled, and she smiled back awkwardly.

"Hey."

"Hey."

He stood up as she approached, and looked her over. "You look good."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "…You too."

They started aimlessly walking around, neither of them saying anything for a while. Day kept stealing glances at her as they went. She looked tired, but still beautiful Her hair was getting longer too, he wondered why she hadn't cut it.

"Is there something you wanted to talk to me about?" she asked suddenly, stopping and staring sternly at him.

He turned to face her. "Well…sort of. I was thinking about what happens every time we see each other."

"Which is…?"

As he answered, he counted each point on one finger. "We don't say much, then we argue, and then we end up randomly getting busy. Why do we do that?"

She shrugged. "Which part?"

"I dunno. All of it, I guess."

She looked around, finding a tombstone arranged nicely enough to serve as a seat and walked over to it. He followed her. After a moment, she sighed, rubbing her temples with the heels of her hands. "I don't know. Maybe this is just how I have relationships. If you hadn't noticed, I'm not the least complicated of people."

He leaned back, staring at the sunset. "Well, I'm no picnic myself."

"What's got you thinking about that anyway?" she asked. "You never have before."

"Well, my sister brought her girlfriend over to visit today, and they're so happy. I have no idea how they do it." He laughed. "I mean, I'm an empath, you'd think that I'd be better at this stuff or something. I guess seeing them together made me wonder about us."

"Couldn't you have just entered my mind to look for answers?" she retaliated bitterly.

"And here we go with the arguing," he mumbled. "Just so you know, I haven't used my power on you since. And I'm sorry I did in the first place."

She opened her mouth as if to say something, then quickly closed it, turning her face to look at the ground. "…I know you are. I'm just pretty messed up about whatever you set loose."

"Okay. That covers the arguing." Boldly, he slid a little closer to her. "What about our physical relationship then?"

"What about it?"

"I believe last time a hand job was involved."

"And the time before that _your_ hand was in _my_ pants. So I guess we're even."

"Touché." He always felt awkward talking about it, oddly, even though nothing was awkward when it actually happened.

Sighing, she looked up to see the horizon. "You know, this place looks really different when the sun's setting. Usually we're here in the dark."

"Yeah."

"You know, I still don't know why I kissed you in the first place."

He looked at her. "Oh?"

She turned her head to him, forcing a smile. "Guess it's a bit late to wonder about that."

"Maybe. But it is a good question."

"Maybe being angry makes me horny. Or maybe I'm not used to being attracted to someone like this."

"But I know you've had sex before. I remember us talking about that." Suddenly he pretended to look worried, badly. "We did talk about that, right?"

"Oh shut up." She turned away from him again.

He stared at her, for once not really caring if she noticed. "I'm attracted to you too, you know…you're beautiful, Wanda."

"You don't mean that. You just mean that I'm hot." She smiled again, this time not forced. "And you're not so bad either."

He really, really wanted to kiss her then. It wasn't like it hadn't happened like that before, but this time he wanted it to be different. Somehow he knew there was something else he had to say.

"Wanda?"

She looked up quickly. "What?"

"I don't know if saying this is going to make any difference, but I keep having this feeling that something horrible is going to happen. I don't know what. I just feel it inside, and it feels true…it's hard to explain."

"…That's pretty damn vague."

"I know."

She slid closer to him too. "Day, I know things turn to shit sometimes, but even if you're right I know you'll survive. You seem like you could make a habit of that." Gingerly she reached up and touched his face, forcing him to meet her eyes. "You'll be okay."

He reached to hold her hand there with his. "Thanks."

She nodded, drawing her hand back. "There's something I better say too. Whatever you unlocked inside of me, no matter how bad it is and how bad I want it to go away, I know it's true. I don't know how or what happened to hide all of it inside my mind, but its there, and it feels more real than anything else I remember about my past." She shook her head slightly, her eyes closed tight. "I don't want to be angry at you anymore. What you did was still wrong, and I still deserved to be pissed at you…but what's in there is in there because of someone else. I'm sorry if I made you feel like it was your fault."

"I deserved it."

"Not all of it." She looked over at him, her eyes laughing. "Some of it, yes. But I've decided that even if it hurts, I'd rather know the truth than live a lie."

He whistled. "That's a big step."

She rolled her eyes. "Shut up. I'm trying to ask you a favor."

"Oh. My apologies."

Shifting her weight, she leaned closer to him, locking his gaze very seriously. "Day, I want you to help me find out what happened, what these memories are and why they're there."

"Why me?"

"As payment for bringing them out in the first place."

He nodded. "All right. I guess that's fair."

She smiled. "Good."

Day let out a small laugh then, sitting up. "You know, it looks like we skipped the argument part of our usual date itinerary."

"What, are you worried that means we won't get to the last part?"

"You know, why do you always have to assume I'm thinking with my dick?"

She smirked. "Most guys are."

He tilted his head. "You know, you're the one who brought it up again."

"You know, that's right." Confidently, she crawled into his lap, and reached up to run her hands through his hair.

He ran his hands down her sides, studying her features. "Wanda?"

"Yeah?"

"Does all of this mean you're going to let me into your world?"

She leaned forward, brushing her lips against his. "…Provided you have protection."

…..

Later, as activity in the mansion began to wind down, Rosaline led Masque to the front door. They stood on the steps for a while just looking at each other, neither of them really knowing what to say. Masque reached up and tucked Rosaline's hair behind her ears, letting her hand trail down to the necklace she gave her. They both smiled.

"Are you sure you don't wanna stay?" she asked.

Masque hesitated, but nodded. _"I'm sure. I'm not ready yet."_

Rosaline meant more than just asking if she wanted to join the team, and she wasn't sure if her girlfriend answered to that or an unspoken question. Regardless, she understood, and nodded back. "All right."

They leaned in together, their kiss lingering as if neither of them wanted to part. At the sound of footsteps approaching, however, they pulled apart and turned to see Day walking up the driveway. His shirt was definitely on backwards and his hair looked like a mess, dirt showing in patched everywhere. Despite his appearance, he wore a very satisfied grin and walked with an extra bounce in his step.

"Goddess, Day, are you okay?" his sister asked, partly worried that something had actually happened.

"I'm great!" he replied chipperly, ruffling her hair as he passed. "Good night guys."

_"Night,"_ said Masque, staring curiously after him.

Rosaline shook her head. "Anyway…"

_"Right."_

She pulled her close again, pressing their foreheads together. "Call me tomorrow, okay?"

_"I will."_

"Promise?"

_"Promise."_

"Good." They kissed again, then she reluctantly let her go. "Sweet dreams."

_"Of you,"_ she answered, and turned towards the gates to go home.

Rosaline blushed, watching her leave until she was out of sight. As the gates closed, she smiled, going back inside the mansion to bother her twin about his state of dress.

It didn't take Masque long to get home, and when she did, she noticed Wanda coming in the back. She was in the same state that Day was, her clothes all awry and her hair messed up and dirty. She smiled too, looking oddly out of character.

_"What happened to you?"_ she asked.

Before she could answer, Toad came bounding down the stairs, screeching to a halt in front of her. "Good evening my baby-cakes," he grinned, all of his yellow teeth showing. "…Whoa! What happened to you!"

"That is none of your business," she growled, and within a moment he slammed against the wall surrounded in a blue haze. She walked forward, passing Masque as she headed for the stairs. "'Night."

_"Goodnight,"_ she replied, watching as Toad fell back on the floor.

Stepping over him, she entered the kitchen, opening the fridge and reaching for some water. A sudden hum announced Pietro's arrival even before she closed the door.

"Where were you today?" he demanded, hands planted firmly on his hips.

She started away from him. _"I don't see how it concerns you."_

He bolted in front of her to cut her off. "I'lltellyouhowitconcernsme! You are a member of this team, and as such, the X-men are your en-e-my! Getting involved with them is a betrayal to all of us. Have you forgotten how much you've been given here!" He reached out a finger to tap her forehead. "Such gifts come with obligations."

_"I don't remember signing any contracts,"_ she frowned, pushing him away_. "Who I talk to and see is my business. You do not control me, Pietro. So fuck off."_

He stood there, too stunned to do anything as she strode past him and headed upstairs. Too late, he turned around to try and stop her only to find Lance standing in the doorway, stifling his laughter.

"You know," he said, looking oddly satisfied. "I definitely like her."

Upstairs, Masque shed her things and got ready for a shower. As she stood there under the warm water, she realized that she felt good about what she just did and who she was becoming. She thought of Rosaline, the warmth spreading, and she looked down at herself. Scars made a map all over her skin. She had always hated them, reminders of her harsh life and her ugliness, covering them up as much as she could. Now, for the first time, she found she didn't want to. She just might be beautiful after all.

…….

Author's note – Whoo, long. But I needed to cover a lot of stuff before things get really complicated. I hope everything in it fit, there are definitely parts that stick out awkwardly in my mind, but everything in here had a purpose. I promise. I must warn you; things are about to get really angsty. There are only two chapters to go in which things get rough. Don't say I didn't warn you. As always, please review, and I hope you look forward to next time

Tyriel – Thanks for pointing out the thing about Masque's mind-speak, I didn't even think about it. I'm glad you liked how I wrote the character's responses to Rosie's ubergayness, I was worried that might come off OOC. Poor Jubes, I'm making her so mean. …Oh well. Anyway, prepare for the angst. You know what's coming.

BigLittleKid – Don't worry, more updates for all. Only 2 more chapters and an epilogue. This will get done, just you wait.

MentalTsunami – I'm glad you like them. Rosie and Masque are indeed cute. And resilient, as you will soon find out.


	13. They Fight

Triangle

By Lady Comet

Disclaimer: I own only my own brainchildren. Everything else I'm just borrowing and bending to my will

…….

Triangle

Part 12 – They Fight

…

Sunday passed without incident, Monday coming sooner than most everyone wanted it to. Grumbling, Xavier's students filed out of the mansion and made their way towards Bayville High. The school was humming with activity, odd for the beginning of the week, but nobody really paid attention.

Later that day, Rosaline sat in her history class, the last before lunch. She was sure something important was going on in the front of the room, though she didn't really care. She was too busy thinking about Masque. Staring out the window, she twirled her necklace between her fingers, daydreaming about the past with her and what she wanted for the future. Directly behind her, a similar thing was occurring. Both she and her brother happened to share this class, so there he sat, only he was thinking about Wanda and replaying other events in his head. For a moment, Rosie looked over her shoulder and caught his eye. He grinned, and she grinned back, knowing exactly what was going on with each other.

Lunchtime came, resulting in a mass exodus towards the picnic area outside. They were lucky, Rogue, Tabby, Amara, Kitty, and Bobby had already grabbed a table. Rosaline waved, and they waved back, signaling for them to join them.

"Hi there," Kitty said brightly.

"Hi," Day replied. "You seem quite chipper today."

She shrugged. "I dunno. I think it's, like, all the excitement around here. Everyone's revved up for something."

"There's a pep rally today, I think," Bobby said.

Rogue looked over at him. "On a Monday?"

"Yeah. There's supposed to be a really big football game this weekend, or something, and everyone's going nuts about it. Thus the rally." He took a big bite of his sandwich, continuing as he chewed. "I think they're having one every night."

"That's a little excessive," Tabby snorted. "God, these people and their football."

Amara nodded slightly, then turned to look around. "…Still, if it gets their attention off of us, I'd say its welcome."

"Right," Rosaline agreed, also looking around. "I'm up for anything that gives me a breather."

Rogue smiled. "But you've been doin' so well, Rosie. Y'know, handlin' all o'their crap, Ah mean."

She smiled back. "Thanks."

As they continued eating, talking about the random aspects of life that arise in high school, one of the more popular girls in their class slowly approached them. Tabby spotted her first, and nudged Day, so cleared his throat to call her to everyone else's attention. Rosaline frowned. She was one of Angela's friends.

When she reached the table, she stood there nervously, glancing back and forth to make sure no one she knew was around.

"…Can we help you?" Day finally asked, thick annoyance in his voice.

She jumped, then looked directly at Rosaline, who stared coldly back at her. "…Listen, you should be careful. Just thought I should warn you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kitty wondered, also staring her down.

The girl shook her head, glanced around again, and then turned around so fast she almost fell over. Without another word she bolted and was gone before they could say anything else to her, or breathe any more of her air.

"Wow, what was that all about?" asked Bobby when they were done watching her run away.

"She's one of the girls who harasses me along with Angela Matthews," Rosaline explained. "It was probably another of their empty threats." Annoyed, she went back to her salad, poking at it furiously.

"Ah dunno," said Rogue, "she seemed pretty scared someone was gonna see her. Maybe somethin's really goin' on."

Tabby shook her head. "Like what? It's not like they have the balls to do anything. Rosaline's stood up to everything they've thrown at her thus far."

Day studied his sister, who appeared to be letting the whole conversation pass by her ears. "…I still think you should be careful, Rosie. You know how people are."

She mumbled her assent, then put on a pleasant smile, steering the conversation in a different direction. As they moved on, Rogue kept thinking about the threat and the fact that Rosaline might not be worried enough. She decided to try and keep and eye on her, or to tell someone who could. Having the same thought, Day looked over at her, and their eyes met. Instantly they knew they had the same idea, and nodded at each other. If she wasn't going to be careful, they'd be careful for her.

…..

Later that afternoon, only a couple of hours before sunset, Rosaline got ready to meet Masque for coffee in the city. She wasn't really meeting her, actually, she was going to surprise her at the Brotherhood house and kidnap her for coffee, but she figured it was about the same thing. Looking again at herself in the mirror, she smiled satisfactorily and headed out, forgetting to grab her phone.

Somehow she didn't run into anyone as she left, except for passing a few occupied rooms where no one noticed her walk by. Excited, she hurried down the driveway and out the gates. Hopefully Masque wouldn't be too busy. They hadn't gotten coffee together yet, and as it was a famous lesbian date stereotype, she thought it might be funny to live up to it. Smiling, she noted how much her attitude towards her sexuality had changed, and walked a little faster.

She was too lost in her thoughts to hear the truck pull out behind her, or its slow purr as it crept along until she stepped into some shadows. Suddenly she felt strong arms grab her and pull her inside, a damp cloth pressed over her nose and mouth. Then it all faded to black.

…..

Moments after she left, Rogue came by to check on her, knocking on the door of her room a few times. When no one answered, she knocked again, waiting less time before she called out to her.

"Rosie? Are ya in there?"

Again, no reply. Worried, she tried the handle and found it unlocked, turning and pushing the door open.

"Rosie?" she called again as she entered, seeing no sign of her. She looked around for any sign of where she was, but didn't find any. Her cell phone was still on the dresser, and her cloak was there, though that didn't mean anything. However, beneath her cloak was an empty spot where her sandals usually were.

That could only mean one thing. She had left the grounds.

Groaning in utter frustration, Rogue ran off to find Day. She checked his room, but he wasn't there, then the kitchen and the living room. Finally she ran past the library, and skidded to a halt. There he was, staring aimlessly at the towers of books around him.

"Day!" she shouted as she hurried inside. "Rosie's gone!"

"What?" he gasped. "What do you mean 'gone'?"

"Ah mean she's not in her room, and her sandals are missin'."

He groaned too. "Shit. She only wears shoes when she leaves the Institute."

"Ah know. Day, we gotta find her. I don't know what that girl meant at lunch today, but Ah'm still worried."

"Me too. Come on, let's call her and get her back here."

"We can't. She left her phone."

"…Shit."

She grabbed his arm, pulling him in the direction of the doorway. "Come on, let's go get the Professor. He can -"

"Wait!" he said. "I don't want to freak everyone out. I'm sure things are fine."

She frowned at him. "Y'know, every time y'all say that, you get in an assload o' trouble an' usually ya wouldn't if you'd ask for help in the first place."

He stopped and thought for a moment. "Huh, you have a point. Funny that."

"Boys," she cursed, grabbing his arm again. "Come on!"

…..

Rosaline woke up to see the city around her, vaguely aware that she was moving. She turned her head, noticing the forms of two boys in front of her, laughing heartily as they talked through a small window to someone she couldn't see. Her vision became clearer, and she realized that she was in a pick-up truck. Her hands and feet were bound and her sandals were missing. She hadn't been gagged but she kept silent anyway, fighting to keep control over her fear.

The truck stopped suddenly, causing her to slide forward and knock into one of her kidnappers. She grunted, then bit her lip. Now they'd know she was awake.

"Hey, she's up," one of them said. She opened her eyes as one of them grabbed her by the wrists and dragged her out of the truck. A car door slammed as she hit the pavement with a thud. Something cracked, and she screamed again, only to get kicked in the side.

"Shut up!" another one of them hissed. "You're not supposed to make noise. Not yet, anyway."

She struggled as they lifted her up, one of them carrying her as another kept her mouth covered. Try as she might she couldn't escape, and the hold on her mouth was such that she couldn't even bite him to make him let her yell for help. They took her down a series of alleys until finally they came to a very enclosed place, the buildings so close together that little sound could be heard from there.

They dropped her again and she screamed, this time trying to get someone's attention. They laughed at her.

"Its no use," one said, "no one lives around here. We're all alone…mutie."

"Dyke!" another added.

She refused to answer, her eyes darting frantically around for an escape. There was a manhole behind the boys, but even if she could get to it she couldn't lift it. The only escape was past them, and she doubted she could find her way back to the street. There was also almost no plant life for her to use.

She was screwed.

One of them stepped forward, hauling her up by the shirt. He spat in her face, she grimaced. "We're here to teach you a lesson," he growled. "People like you aren't welcome in Bayville. People like you aren't welcome alive!"

She started to cry, then spat back at him, to which he punched her in the face. Taking that as a signal, they all rushed forward to attack her. She tried to fight them off but it was no use. There were too many of them and she was still bound.

Desperately, she called on her powers. The few weeds and sprouts of grass that had grown through cracks in the concrete rushed to her call, but they were weak and hadn't had enough sunlight in their lives. She managed to wrap one around one guy's ankles and tripped him, rolling over in his wake to try and tear the rope off her feet with another, but as she pulled the plant snapped and she screamed again in frustration. They fell back upon her, breaking her concentration. All she felt from then on was pain until she was finally knocked out, surrendering to the darkness.

…..

Xavier lifted Cerebro off of his head, rolling back towards the students in defeat. Now that everyone had been told Rosaline might be in danger a small crowd had amassed outside, waiting for him. Day was at the front, pacing back and forth, as Rogue, Tabby, and Amara shot worried glances at him and each other.

All action stopped as the Professor approached. He looked at the hope in their eyes and sadly shook his head.

"I can't find her. She might be unconscious somewhere, or mentally refusing my call, though usually I'd still be able to pinpoint her location." He put a comforting hand on Day's arm. "I am sorry. I don't think there's much else I can do."

"But we have to do something!" Tabby insisted. "We should at least go look for her, or…or something!"

"Good idea. Let's go," Day said, turning to leave without a second thought.

Knowing he couldn't stop them, Xavier sighed. "Wait," he called. They all stopped and turned to look at him, not sure what he was going to do. "Be careful. Take your phones, and call if you find anything. Good luck."

Day smiled nodded, then led the others off to get ready.

…..

Beneath the streets of Bayville, Caliban of the Morlocks walked the sewers on his usual patrol. There hadn't been much activity lately as far as the mutants in Bayville went, though he had felt the presence of three new signatures a few months ago. They did not come to the Morlocks, however, so he did not think of them.

He turned, passing under a block where he knew the buildings were arranged very strangely. He looked up idly as he walked by a manhole, moving on, then stopped, and looked back up. Someone was up there. One of them.

He waited. When whoever it was did not move at all after many minutes, he turned around, heading back to the Morlock tunnels. Callisto must be informed, then something could be done. The only way to get to the mutant was by lifting that manhole, and he didn't have the strength. He hoped it wouldn't be too late.

Less than half an hour later, Spyke and Callisto carried Rosaline into their home. She was beaten badly, bleeding from several places and broken and bruised in more, and still bound. Carefully they placed her down on a flat slab of stone and cut the ropes around her hands and feet. Callisto yelled for Scaleface to tend her wounds, the green girl rushing to do so as everyone else stared at her.

"Do you know her?" she asked Spyke.

He shook his head. "I've never seen her before."

She furrowed her brow over her one good eye. "Is she from Xavier's Institute?"

"I don't know. She might be."

Standing, Scaleface stepped in front of Callisto, pieces of her purple hair hanging in her eyes. "That's all I can do for her. She's still bleeding, but I bandaged her up, and she hasn't got as many broken bones as I thought she did." She sighed, rubbing the back of her head where it was shaved. "If we don't bring her topside again, she's going to die."

Callisto and Evan looked at each other with concern.

"Hey, you're the boss," he said.

Lucid stepped forward. "We can't go topside! It's too dangerous."

"We have to," Callisto said finally. He shut his mouth and stepped backward, looking at Façade with concern. They both looked worried about what would happen.

"I'll go," Spyke volunteered. "I came from the Institute, after all. They know me there."

Callisto nodded. "I'm going with you. Scaleface?"

"Yessum?"

"Do you still know how to pick locks?"

She grinned, baring pointed teeth. "Of course."

"And hotwire a car?"

"Yup."

"And drive one?"

"…Sure."

She nodded again. "You're going with us too, then."

"You are stealing a car?" Caliban asked.

Carefully, Callisto helped Evan pick Rosaline up, making sure she had moved as little as possible. "Yes."

"You might get caught."

"I know. But if we don't, it will take longer to get her there, and I don't want her to die. She's one of us, even if she lives topside."

…..

Meanwhile, Day ran ahead, checking down every side street they passed. In order to search for his sister they had split up, so he was only with Rogue and Masque, who were doing well keeping up with him even in his panicked state. In fact, Masque was running faster than he was in her panic about Rosie. He didn't know a mind could scream so loud.

Panting, Day slowed down, looking around to get his bearings. He clenched his hand tighter around the sandal he held, found just before the tree between the mansion and the Brotherhood house. Stopping there first, they picked up Masque and Wanda, who was searching another part of the city with Tabby, Amara, and Kitty. So far no one had found her, and it was getting late.

He cursed, and started running again. He had to find her. Something was definitely wrong.

…..

Ten minutes, two cars, and five more minutes later, three Morlocks drove through the gates of Xavier's mansion. Beast and Wolverine were outside before they parked, taking Rosaline from them and heading right to the Infirmary. Storm invited them inside, and they accepted, Callisto and Spyke following them while Scaleface lingered behind, gaping at the size and style of the building.

Wolverine detoured to get Xavier, finding him on his way to look for Rosaline once more, unaware of her proximity.

"She's back, Charles," he huffed. "And she's really hurt."

Hurrying, they met everyone in the Infirmary. Xavier gasped at Rosaline's damaged body, his hopes for her safety now crushed.

"Excuse me. I must call the children back," he said, then rolled out of the room to return to Cerebro.

Hank worked quickly, hooking her up to necessary machines and preparing to treat her wounds and stop the bleeding. "God…what happened?" he asked, looking over at the Morlocks.

"Caliban found her while he was patrolling," Callisto answered. "We don't know what happened to her before then."

"Well, you're lucky, nothing was broken enough to have hurt her when you moved her. Rather, we're lucky. Let's just hope…" he trailed off, not wanting to finish his thought, though everyone knew what he was going to say.

"She is one of yours, then," Spyke stated very matter-of-factly.

Storm nodded. "She is, Evan. Thank you for bringing her back to us."

He nodded, smiling slightly at his aunt.

Xavier rolled back into the room, his face wrinkled with concern, and made his way over to Rosaline. "Hank, will it bother you if I look into her mind while you mend her?"

"Not as long as you stay over there," he answered.

Xavier nodded, and putting his hands on either side of her head, entered Rosaline's mind. Images of the fight flooded into his own, replaying backwards until the moment she left the mansion. He saw everything in perfect detail, though whenever she blacked out, he hit a dead end. Frowning, he sat up, putting his hand comfortingly over her forehead.

"She was kidnapped not far from here, and taken to an alley in the city. Four men beat her, during which she fell unconscious, so I don't know what happened after that." He sighed.

"Who did it?" Wolverine growled.

"I don't know, and neither does she. All I saw was that they were all male, around her age. She didn't appear to recognize them."

"Caliban found her in an alley," Spyke added. "They must not have moved her after they left."

The sound of screeching footsteps announced that somehow the remaining students had gotten word of what happened. Jean, Scott, Kurt, Bobby, Rahne, Ray, Roberto, Sam, Jamie, and Jubilee fought to enter the room, which luckily was large enough to accommodate all of them.

"Oh my god…" Jean gasped, as she and Scott stared at Rosaline. Kurt mouthed something in German, also staring. Everyone else did as well; Bobby tried to keep Jamie from seeing, Rahne let out a small yelp and hid her face in Roberto's shoulder as he gawked too, and Sam stood silent. Even Jubilee's hands flew to her mouth, horrified. Ray opened his mouth to say something, then stopped, looking from Rosaline to the Morlocks. His eyes locked with Scaleface's, and she glared at him.

"We didn't do this, idiot."

He stammered. "I didn't say that."

"Professor, what happened to her?" Scott asked.

Xavier rolled over to them. "She was kidnapped and taken to an alley, where she was beaten and then left. She doesn't know who did it."

No one said anything, they just watched Hank work busily, eventually asking Storm for help as he stitched up some very bad cuts. There were no words for what had happened, even less for the fact that they had no idea who had done this to her. After a moment, Wolverine tried to get the students out of the room. He had almost succeeded, leaving only Scott, Jean, and Kurt, when more footsteps sounded and frightened shouts reached them.

"Rosie!" Day called out as he entered, followed closely by Masque and Rogue. He stopped dead when he saw her, almost falling. His eyes widened, and he stared, his mouth open as if he needed to speak but all words had left him.

Behind him, Masque stared too, a look of complete terror on her face. _"No…"_ she whispered, and staggered past Day to get to her girlfriend's side. She gently touched the side of her face, wishing that somehow this wasn't true and she would open her eyes, sit up, and say it had all been a cruel joke.

Speechless, Rogue looked at the Professor, hoping for answers. Before he could answer, however, Day snapped, rushing towards him and planting one hand on either side of the wheelchair.

"Who did this!" he demanded.

"We don't know, Day," Xavier answered calmly.

Day struggled as Kurt and Scott tried to restrain him. "No! You have to! Tell me!"

"We don't know, Day," Xavier repeated. "I am sorry. I looked into her memory, but she didn't know who her attackers were, and neither do I."

He kept struggling, trying to get free for a reason no one understood. Eventually he stopped, sagging against them as he looked over at this battered sister. "…Why?" he cried, dropping his head to look at the floor. Uncomfortable, Scott let go of him, Rogue stepping up to take him from both of them. She held him as he kept crying, both of them staring at the figure in the bed.

Masque tried to step out of Beast's way, but didn't want to leave Rosaline's side. Eventually she settled for standing at the head of her cot, reaching down to smooth out her hair. She bit her lip, trying not to cry too. _"Is, is she going to be okay?"_

Hank sighed, but nodded. "She should be, provided she doesn't lose any more blood. If she does, we'll need to take her to the hospital for a transfusion."

Callisto shifted uncomfortably. "Excuse me, Professor Xavier, we don't mean to be rude…"

"No, of course. Thank you for bringing her back to us. We owe you a great deal."

Spyke nodded, and smiled. Storm walked over to them, glancing back at the Professor, and said, "I'll show them out."

"Of course." As they left, Xavier looked at Jean. _Do you think you might know who her attackers are if I show you?_

_I don't know_, she answered. _Show me anyway._

He pushed the image of the four men into her mind, and she closed her eyes, studying it. Finally, she shook her head. _No._

"Vhat are you doing?" Kurt asked, noticing their silence.

"We're trying to figure out who attacked her," Jean answered shortly.

_"What did they look like?"_ Masque asked.

"High-school age, all guys," she answered. "They wore nothing to identify them either."

Day's eyes snapped open, but he didn't say anything.

"It's probably best for Rosaline to get some rest now," Hank noted, looking over at the assembled group. "She'll be fine. I'll let you know if anything changes."

_"Can I stay?"_ Masque asked, praying he wouldn't say no.

"You can stay. And you too, Day, if you want."

Letting go of Rogue, he stood up, and shook his head. "No. I…I need to be alone right now."

"All right. If you want to come down here at any time, feel free."

"Thanks." As Wolverine and the Professor herded the rest of the students out of the Infirmary, Day walked over to his sister, standing by her side and looking at her wounds. After a moment he leaned down and kissed her forehead, then smiled at Masque, and followed the others out.

Masque watched him leave suspiciously, then felt a seat pushed under her. "Here," said Hank, smiling. "I figured you'd be here a while."

She smiled back. _"Thank you."_ Forgetting all suspicions, she reached down to hold her girlfriend's hand, focusing on the desire for her to get better.

…..

About ten minutes later, Tabby, Amara, Wanda, and Kitty returned to the Institute. Rahne saw them enter and caught up with them first, leading them down to the Infirmary.

"Oh shit," Tabby exclaimed. Amara grabbed on to her arm and stared at Rosaline in shock. Kitty said nothing, lost for words.

Wanda looked over every wound, growing angry, then turned to Masque and asked, "Where's Day?"

_"He went upstairs, I think. He said he needed some time alone."_

"Thanks." She nodded at Beast, then turned and rushed back up the hallway.

"What happened?" Kitty finally managed to squeak out.

Hank sighed, already tired to relating the story. "She got kidnapped and beaten, then left in an alley. The Morlocks found her and brought her here."

Amara stepped closer, coming up behind Masque and putting her hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head. _"No. But I'm not worried about me right now."_

Amara nodded understandingly.

"All right, I hate to do this, but I need to kick you out. Having so many people around isn't good for her," the Beast insisted. "Go get some rest. If anything happens, we'll let you know."

"Okay," Tabby said, and stepped forward to take Amara's hand. "Er, good luck."

Kitty came over to give Masque a very unexpected hug, which she was almost too surprised to return. "She'll be okay," she insisted, trying to sound comforting.

_"Thank you,"_ she replied. _"I know."_

The girls filed out slowly, reluctant to leave their friend there. Hank busied himself again checking Rosaline's charts, while Masque went back to willing her better.

Then, suddenly, a chill ran up her spine and she had a vision. It was the clearest she had had yet, and again, it was of Day. He was about to do something very stupid.

In standing up she knocked over her chair, not bothering to pick it up. She leaned down and gently kissed Rosie, then bolted. Beast barely had a chance to realize what had happened before she was gone.

Moments later, Wanda appeared again, entering the room in a huff. "Day's gone! …Where's Masque?"

Hank blinked a couple times, then groaned. "Great. Why can't I help but think that this is all connected?"

…..

Day crossed the distance between the mansion and the school in the shortest time he ever would in his whole life. He had left almost immediately, only stopping upstairs to grab his pocketknife. He knew it wasn't going to be enough, but he didn't really care. Reason was far beyond him now.

He had watched this happen to his sister once. He wasn't going to let anyone get away with it again.

He crossed the Bayville High school grounds almost at a run, passing the football field where the pep rally was still going strong. He looked around for a sign where to go next, then heard glass breaking, followed by roaring laughter. It was coming from the small parking lot behind the school.

Flipping the blade of his knife out, he strode in that direction. The laughter grew louder and within moments he came upon five guys hanging out in the bed of a pick-up truck, cracking up over several beers. Crushed cans were everywhere and they were making a lot of noise, but they didn't seem to notice. Four of them looked to be around his age, though the fifth was older, still wearing a high school letterman jacket. _Funny_, Day thought, _he looks kind of like Angela._

They didn't seem him until he was almost to the truck. One of them shouted, pointing, and they all busted up laughing again. The older one jumped down to meet him, standing proud as if he'd done something worthwhile.

"Hello, Day Jackson," he grinned. "My friends were just telling me this great story about them and your sister Rosa –"

Suddenly, he was cut off by Day's knife in his stomach.

It took the other boys a moment to realize what had happened, but when they did, they all rushed to attack him just like they had his sister. They were weaponless and drunk, as well as only human, so Day had the upper edge on three counts. However, the odds were still three to one.

He did the best he could, using his power to turn their anger on each other while he fought as best he knew how. They had never trained with normal weapons in the Danger room, so he wasn't very good, but for a while he managed to hold his own. He actually managed to hurt them.

Then one landed a kick just right and the knife flew from his hand.

Before he could do anything about it, he was down, and one of the guys climbed on top of him. He struggled, then felt the piercing of a blade sinking into his back. He screamed, and fought to get out, but the guy kept stabbing him. Then finally, he severed something he did not mean to, and Day's body went limp.

The guy kept stabbing him for a few seconds before he realized he had won. Laughing, he stood up and went to his friends, receiving high fives. Somehow this made them remember that one of them had been stabbed in the stomach, and they rushed to go find him.

They turned around, however, as a strange scream sounded in their minds.

Masque stood at the edge of the parking lot on shaking legs. All she saw was Day's body on the ground, and she snapped. Slowly, she looked up at the group of boys.

.What she decided to do, she did because of what Day's death would mean. It would crush Rosaline more than any beating ever would. She could break, feeling that pain. If these boys were indeed the ones who had beaten Rosaline as well, which they probably were, they deserved what she was about to do. They stood for everything she was against, and worst of all, reminded her of her father with every wound on the twins' bodies.

She stepped forward, growling, and spread out her hands.

Everything happened in a blur after that. She didn't even really see it, so fueled by her rage and lacking any control. Anyone watching would have seen the boys go rigid, then suddenly move into action, attacking each other and fighting until none of them survived. She made them fight until she was satisfied that even if some were just knocked out, their wounds would kill them within hours.

As soon as they were all gone, her control over them was lost, and she staggered backward. Breathing heavily, she sank onto the ground and burst into tears. When she killed her father, she promised herself that she would never do it again, no matter how bad things got. She had broken her promise, and though it had felt really good, she knew it was wrong. It was all for nothing anyway. She had been too late.

Suddenly her head snapped up and she looked across the parking lot again. _"Day…"_

Staggering to her feet, she rushed over to find him. He hadn't moved. She knelt beside him, rolling him over to see if there was any chance he was alive.

His eyes were open, but they were cold and lifeless. He wasn't breathing and was covered in blood. By the looks of it, he died before she had even started.

Crying harder, she wrapped her arms around him. _"Oh god, Day…"_

Moments later, she pulled herself together and lifted his body off of the ground, slinging it over her shoulder. She had to get him out of here, if it was going to look like a gang suicide, they couldn't be there when the bodies were discovered. She staggered even more under the weight but kept going, keeping to the woods so no one would see her.

As she walked, carrying him home for the last time, all she could think of was how this was going to kill Rosie too.

……

Author's note –

Yes, I am a sick fuck. I've been trying to lead up to this for the whole story but I didn't want to make it too obvious, as I love good plot twists.

I love Day as a character, but in order for this to end right, he had to die. You'll see what I mean soon. On a more random note, If you want to see my version of Scaleface (who is awesome in my brain), e-mail me.

One more chapter to go, then the epilogue, which I promise will make things better. As fucked up as I am, I can't stand tragic endings. Please look forward to it.


	14. They Leave

Triangle

By Lady Comet

Disclaimer: I own only my own brainchildren. Everything else I'm just borrowing and bending to my will

**Note – This chapter is very long and covers many days. I usually put a set of '…..' between scenes, but for the changes between days I put two sets, just in case it gets confusing. Anyway, enjoy.**

…….

Triangle

Part 13 – They Leave

…

The next day was a blur for almost everyone. No one could believe it had really happened, but there was no denying the harsh truth. Day was gone.

What had happened in the parking lot was made simpler by the fact that it looked like a group suicide, Masque's power having made the boys kill each other without any trace of her influence. The community was shocked, but no blame was laid on any mutant. No one even knew Day had been there. Xavier was prepared to smooth things over in the unlikely event that something arose, though he was torn on that issue. He knew what Masque did was wrong, and at the same time, he understood why she had done it. However, the danger was there that she might be unstable, having killed in two instances – her father and now the boys who attacked Rosaline and killed Day. After she came back to the mansion with his body and confessed what happened, he asked her if he could search her mind further, and she let him without question. He looked for any trace that this would become a pattern, finally finding none. She was genuinely sorry for what she had done and never wanted to have to do that again, trying to find some way to atone for it. She even felt sorry that the boys hadn't lived to be punished otherwise and exposed for the shit they were. Satisfied, he welcomed her into the mansion, asking her to stay while the situation resolved itself. She accepted, not even going back to the Brotherhood house for her things.

Rosaline was so consumed with her grief she refused to see almost everyone, except for Masque, and even she wasn't able to help. She had been brought back to her bedroom for comfort and hadn't moved since she got into bed, curled into a tiny ball in the corner the headboard formed with the wall. Unexpectedly, she wasn't able to cry at all. She just lay there staring into space, occasionally closing her eyes for long periods of time as if she wanted to fall asleep and never wake up.

Masque sat and stroked her hair. _"It's going to be all right, Rosie…"_

She shook her head, looking away from her. "It should have been me…"

It went on like that all day. Barely anyone talked about it; no one could really find the words to express the pain. Those who still had to go to school went with no intention of learning anything. Hank called Day's parents, having talked to them when Xavier invited their children to his school. They left for the mansion as soon as they heard and arrived that evening.

Alden Jackson was a middle-aged man of average height with green eyes and short blonde hair that was salted with grey. His body wore weight that looked like it had come with age, though not much of it, and his features were tired, but it was difficult to tell if that was natural or due to his grief. He dressed simply, wearing a brown leather coat over a black button-up shirt and brown khakis, and the only jewelry he wore was his wedding ring. Minna Jackson was a short, plump woman with blondish-brown hair that curled like her children's, which she wore twisted up into a bun at the back of her head. Her eyes were a familiar grey and she shared most of their facial features. She dressed a bit more richly than her husband, wearing a long white coat over a blue dress. Her face was streaked with tears. As they stepped out of their car, exhausted, Storm, Beast, and Professor Xavier came out of the mansion to greet them. After a quick greeting they followed them inside, depositing their things in a spare room and going immediately to see their daughter. They would go to the morgue later to confirm that it was Day's body.

When Rosaline saw them, she seemed a bit more relieved, talking to them as she hadn't let anyone else talk to her. Even though they both cried as they held her, careful of her wounds, she still didn't shed a tear. Not introduced, but understanding why, Masque left her care to them and went to wander the mansion, eventually settling out in the gardens where her Rosie liked to dance.

She didn't know how long she sat out there, staring blankly at the flowers, when she heard footsteps coming up the path. She turned to see Rogue walking toward her. She looked like she had done her share of crying, finished for now but still in pain. She forced a smile at her, and she smiled back. Without being asked to, the goth girl sat down next to her on the bench.

"Hi."

_"Hello."_

She paused. "…How's Rosie doin'?"

Masque shook her head slightly. _"She's taking it hard. Her parents are with her now."_

"Oh. When did they get here?"

_"A short while ago. They went to her immediately. ….I can't imagine how they feel."_

Hesitantly, Rogue lifted a gloved hand and placed it on Masque's shoulder in comfort. She shrunk a little at it, but relaxed, knowing she was being ridiculous.

"Are ya okay?"

_"I…well, I don't know. I feel horrible about what happened. Those boys deserved to die, and part of me is glad I killed them, but I really feel horrible for doing it. After what happened with my father I swore I would never use my power to kill again, and I broke that promise to myself. I feel like I failed somehow…I don't think Day would have wanted me to do it. I don't think Rosie would have."_

She didn't ask about her father, knowing that was a long story that probably had to do with the scars. Instead she sighed, meeting the other girl's eyes with compassion. "Ah don't think y'all should beat yourself up over it. Ah know the situation was, no, _is_ horrible, an' I understand why ya feel bad. But Masque, Day would have understood why ya did what ya did, and Ah know Rosie will. If she had been the one to find him, Ah think she would have attacked them too. And Ah know that if Ah were in your shoes last night, Ah probably would've done the same thing."

Masque smiled. _"Thanks. That helps, in a weird way."_

Rogue smiled back, then turned her head to stare sadly at the plants around them. A few moments passed, and she whispered, "Ya know, even though Ah saw him, and even though Ah know it's true, Ah just can't believe he's gone."

Masque bit her lip, stifling tears she felt she didn't deserve to cry. _"I know. Me too."_

…..

…..

The next morning, Mr. and Mrs. Jackson left their daughter and sat down in Xavier's office. Despite all the hurt they felt, certain things had to be discussed, specifically what to do about Day's body.

"Thank you for coming," Xavier started, sitting behind his desk with his hands crossed in front of him. Minna nodded, and her husband said nothing.

"…We want to bury Day at home," she said finally, her voice choked with tears. "Actually, he wanted to be cremated, but –"

"We understand that your students will want to say goodbye to him properly," Alden interjected, glancing sympathetically at her. "So we talked to Rosie, and came up with a compromise."

"Yes?" said Xavier.

Minna took a tissue from the box in her lap and blew her nose hard, then looked up at him. "We'll . . . we will cremate Day here, and hold a memorial service for him. Nothing fancy, we just thought he . . . would have wanted that. He loved it here so much." Fresh tears began to spill down her face, but she continued. "After that, we'll take him home and bury his ashes with the rest of our family, in a proper ceremony."

Xavier nodded. "Of course. We're more than willing to hold a service for him here, as you request."

"We'd like to do it soon," added Alden. His voice was heavy with grief that he wouldn't express as his wife did out of pride or expectation. "We want to go home as soon as possible. Not to offend any of you, of course, but…"

"I understand. It's hard to mourn properly in a strange place."

Relieved, he nodded. They sat in silence for a moment, somehow not wanting to move on to the preparations. That would make it more real than it already was. "…Mr. Xavier, we'd like to thank you for all that you've done."

Xavier was surprised. "Oh?"

"We know this had nothing to do with mutants, any of you, only people's ignorance," Minna said, covering her tracks, "and you've been very helpful since he… since it happened. And before, our children were genuinely happy here. Things were for both of them as they had never been back home. You took good care of them for us." She smiled. "So, thank you."

He smiled back. "You are welcome."

Then Alden turned the talk back to what had to come. "We'd like to have the service tomorrow, Thursday, if possible."

"Of course. At what time?"

He paused, setting his features in solemnity. "Just before sunset. Before the day passes into night."

Nodding, Xavier closed his eyes to call Storm. Much needed to be done.

…..

Later, across town, the door to the Brotherhood House opened and Masque stepped inside. After her talk with Rogue she had realized that things were going to change more than she thought, which meant she needed to make some decisions. She wasn't sure what Rosaline was going to do now that Day was gone. But one thing was certain – she needed her, more than she had before, and Masque wasn't about to continue her life as it went if things would be better different.

She went straight to her room, which was just as barren as it had been the night she moved in. There wasn't much to do but she still wanted to hurry. It would be better if she could get out of there without anyone seeing her. Absentmindedly she grabbed her backpack and started packing her things.

She was mostly done when she heard a noise at the doorway. Zipping up the main pocket, she turned around to find Wanda watching her, looking very disheveled and confused. Masque wasn't sure who had told her, but obviously the girl knew what had happened. Maybe Rogue did more last night than come to comfort her.

"What are you doing?" she asked, sounding broken and angry.

Done, Masque slung her backpack over her shoulder and turned fully around, facing her entirely. _"I'm leaving. Rosaline and needs me, and since she's at the mansion, that's where I need to be."_

Wanda furrowed her brow, and Masque watched her face move such that she must have been biting the inside of her cheek. "You can't. Pietro will kill you."

_"I'd like to see him try."_

Silence reigned. The witch looked down at the floor while the other shifted uncomfortably. This had not been what either of them wanted.

". . . Did you really kill them?" Wanda asked.

_"Yes, I did."_

She smiled righteously. "Good. I wish it had been me."

_"I know."_ Slowly she closed the space between them, standing less than a few feet from her now. _"Wanda, I'm sorry. I know you and Day were involved."_

"Why?" she asked bitterly. "It isn't your fault. I should thank you for avenging him."

_"Well, saying I'm sorry sounds better than 'Damn, that sucks.'"_

She smirked. "True. . . Can I ask you a favor?"

_"Sure."_

She straightened up, trying to look serious and demanding, though she still looked more in pain. "If they decide to do something for him, like a burial or whatever, can you let me know?"

Masque nodded, smiling slightly. _"Of course."_

"Good. Thanks."

Silence came again, and then finally Masque let out a sound like a sigh, and stepped to the side. _"I have to go. I don't want anyone else to try and stop me."_

Wanda nodded, taking the hint. "I can distract the others."

_"Thank you."_

"Don't mention it."

Then awkwardly, Masque reached out and hugged her friend, letting go quickly with the knowledge that she probably wasn't prone to that kind of affection. _". . . I'll miss you, Wanda. Please take care of yourself."_

She shook off the surprise and forced a smile at her. "Thanks. You too."

Masque nodded, and without another word, left the Brotherhood House forever. She didn't look back.

…..

Meanwhile, the halls of Xavier's mansion were silent. School hadn't let out yet so no one was hanging around in their rooms, and the adults were off preparing for the service or doing other things downstairs. Everything was still.

Then a creaking sound announced the opening of a door, and Rosaline stepped into the hallway. She didn't bother closing it behind her as she headed towards the bathroom, a pair of scissors in her hands. She walked slowly, her mind was far away in another world, and when she entered the bathroom she didn't even bother making sure no one else was there.

She stopped directly in front of the mirror. For a while she just stared at her face, studying the cuts and bruises across her skin. Her hair was a tangled mess. Even despite the wounds and everything else, she still saw him there. He would always be there.

Finally, she started to cry.

Moving slowly again, she brought the open scissors up to her head.

…..

Masque walked into the mansion, finding it eerily quiet.

_"Hello…?"_ she ventured, and when no one answered, she headed upstairs to the room she had been given. She looked around for signs of anyone. Once she was up the stairs, she finally heard some noise back on the first level, like people coming out of a room and walking towards the front of the building. She decided she'd better just go to her room and check on Rosie.

She had to pass Rosaline's room to get to hers, and when she looked to the door, she found it open. Confused and a little worried, she stepped inside. Rosaline was gone.

A strange sense of panic filled her. It was possible that she had gone downstairs with her parents, but the feeling that something was wrong told her otherwise. Dropping her backpack, she rushed out of the room, looking for any sign of where she had gone.

_"Rosie?"_ she called. Again, no one answered. Then she heard a noise from the bathroom. She ran there and knocked on the door. _"Rosie, are you in there?"_

There was no reply, so she desperately quested out with her mind. She didn't think it would work, but she got a feeling that Rosie was indeed inside, and she knocked on the door again.

_"Rosie, are you okay?"_

Yes, she could have just needed to go to the bathroom, she told herself. However, she still felt something was wrong, something had changed, and that overpowered reason. She tried the handle, but it was locked, which sent her even more into a panic. She pounded on the door, calling her name again. Nothing happened.

Then, just as she was about to go get the Professor, the door opened and Rosaline stepped out. There was a pair of scissors in her hand, and looking up from them, Masque gasped. Rosie had cut her hair to about the same length as Day's had been. And finally, she was crying.

"He isn't gone," she said through her tears. "He lives on in all of us as we remember him…and I will always see him in me. The Goddess will take care of him until we can see him again, and keep him alive in our hearts…"

Masque's features softened. _"Rosie…"_

The scissors fell from her hand and she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend, her tears turning into sobs. Masque held her close but carefully, not wanting to cause her any more pain. She ran her fingers through her new short hair, thanking whatever power was out there that Rosaline was allowing herself to grieve. It was the beginning of moving on.

…..

…..

Thursday came. Most of the preparations were done so all that was left to do was wait until the service. It would begin shortly after the rest of the students got home from school, ending near sunset. It was kind of cheesy to hold it then, Day's parents knew, but somehow it seemed fitting. Somehow, they felt it might make it easier to say goodbye.

That afternoon, Rosaline walked down the hallway to Xavier's office. Her parents were off visiting the city to distract themselves, and Masque had asked Beast to show her around again, knowing she'd need another tour if she were to live here. In their absence, and for most of the night, Rosie had thought very hard about something. Now that she had come to a decision, she had to act on it.

Gathering her courage, she took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Come in, Rosaline," came the familiar voice, and she stepped inside.

Instead of his usual place behind the desk, Xavier was over near the window, staring off into space. He turned his head as she approached, smiling. "Hello. I see you're feeling better."

She nodded. "Yes. Professor, there's something I need to talk to you about."

He gestured for her to sit down and rolled himself to sit beside her, calmly waiting for her to start. Sighing, she sat up a bit straighter and began.

"I need to leave, Professor. I need to go back to Salem with my parents."

Surprised, he asked "Why?"

"Too much has happened here for me to be happy, not for a long time," she explained. Her hands were clenched into fists around her skirt, pulling the bruises on them into strange shapes. "I am…was very happy here, but now I'm afraid that all this place, all Bayville will do is remind me of him and I'll never move on from it." She looked up to meet his eyes, tears again spilling down her cheeks. "I need to get away."

He was silent for a moment, considering all she had said, and then he smiled and gently laid a hand on her arm. "I understand. We'll be sad to see you go."

"I know. I'm sad to leave too, but I have to."

He nodded. "You know you are welcome back here any time you like."

She nodded back, smiling. "I know. And I think I will be back, someday…thank you, Professor Xavier."

"You are welcome, Rosaline."

…..

When the students returned home, they immediately got ready for the service. Rosaline's haircut shocked them, but they didn't say anything. However, she asked Tabitha to trim it for her so the sides were even, which she gladly did.

Almost done, she asked, "Rosie?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did you do this?"

She sat there, silent, for a moment, than tugged on a piece that hung in her eyes, "…When I looked at myself in the mirror, I saw him even through the cuts and bruises and stitches, and I realized that he will always be there, in my features and blood. I know we never really looked that much alike but my eyes are his eyes and there are other little things that remind me. In my pain, I guess, I wanted to bring him back a little by making my hair like his too." She bit back tears. "It's silly, isn't it?"

"No, it isn't." She put down the scissors and moved to face her. "If it was something you had to do, it was something you had to do. Something you need is never silly."

She smiled. "Thanks."

And she smiled back. "Anytime."

Soon evening approached, and everyone filed out of the mansion into the garden. Rows of chairs curved slightly, facing a short pillar on which sat Day's urn. It was made of black stone, onyx, and curved up from the bottom forming an egg-like shape with the bottom tip cut off. The lid was distinguished by a band of patterning at the top in silver, the design on which was overlapping vines. The top curved back out to form a handle made of the same silver pattern, which was repeated at the bottom. His name was etched in silver under the division of the lid, as well as the dates that he was born and died. Real vines curled around the pillar, urged there by Rosaline, green standing out against white.

Among the students sat other guests, invited by Xavier or some of the students themselves. Gambit came for Rogue's sake, sitting next to her and holding her hand. Colossus had also come with him, sitting on his other side, and kept looking over at Kitty, who had sat down with Lance a few rows away. She pretended not to notice him. Kurt sat on Rogue's other side, his girlfriend Amanda with him for support. Spyke and come with the some of the other Morlocks, mostly those who could pass as "human," and sat near Storm and Beast. Unnoticed, a figure dressed in a black dress wearing a hat with a fishnet veil sat down in the last row. She had a red rose in her hand. Rogue glanced at her, then smiled. Apparently Wanda didn't want people to know that she cared.

Once everyone had arranged themselves, Rosie stood up and went to the pillar. Her dress was a very dark grey, plain, though the long skirt had two layers to it. She gently touched the urn, her mouth opening as if she would speak, and then silently turned around. She looked over the entire group of friends and family who had loved her brother, knowing that in being here they gave their support and marked their loss as well. That, somehow, gave her warmth. Her eyes settled on her parents and Masque, who sat in the first row. She smiled at them and they returned it.

She stepped back to make sure everyone could still see her brother's ashes and interlaced her fingers over her stomach, taking a deep breath. Even though she had insisted that no one else lead the service, feeling he deserved this from her, she had no idea how to start. Nothing had come to her during the day and nothing was coming to her now. She looked down at herself and her hands on the dark fabric, then looked up, focusing on the group.

"You know," she began, "Day hated this dress. He always said it was too boring and I should never wear it without dressing it up, with fishnet or something." She saw a few people stifle small laughter, paused, then kept going. "He always wanted excitement in everything; nothing simple was worth his attention. He found the beauty in everything and everyone he met. I'd like to think that people didn't like him just because of his power…he was one of the kindest people I will ever know. I could not have asked for a better brother, even when he felt the need to protect me…" She started to cry again, but her words didn't stop. She knew if she stopped, she would never start again. She had to do this. "We came here in desperation and fear for our safety, no, my safety, and in being here we both found happiness in everything we did. Every one of you touched his life and made it richer. If he were here now I know he'd thank you for being so kind to him, so instead, I thank you in his place. Even though he's gone from this world he will never be gone from us. He'll live on in our memory and our thoughts of him. I bet he's even watching us now."

She moved again and touched the edge of the pillar, her fingers brushing the edge of the urn. She stared at his name etched in the stone and suddenly it became more real than it had been. She kept crying, feeling a pain in her heart she could not describe. But there was hope too, and love. Briefly she wondered whether or not his powers stayed with him in the next world and if again he was trying to ease her pain. Feeling silly, but happy, she almost laughed.

Again, she turned to the crowd, her hand still on the pillar. "The love my brother had for all of us is still here. Let that give us strength in letting go." With that, she sat back down with her parents and girlfriend, who took her hand and squeezed it.

There was silence for a moment. No one was quite sure what to do, the service wasn't over yet but she had ended so abruptly, without further instruction.

Finally Rogue stood up and walked down the aisle between the seats. She stopped next to the urn and looked at it, turning after a moment to address the crowd.

"Ah'll always remember what it was like when Ah met him, comin' inta the mansion dressed like me, and Ah thought…"

Then Bobby.

"…he was really strange, but we got over that and I guess he won us over, like that time…"

Then Storm.

"…and when I picked them up and brought them here, I knew a lot of unfortunate things had happened, but that he was strong and would always protect and stand up for…"

Then Jean.

"…was afraid he would be a bit of a bother, and even though he didn't exactly follow the rules, he was…"

Then Ray.

"…and he made us think about ourselves and what we thought was right, which we should appreciate…"

Then Kitty.

" …really understood people and wanted to help everyone, he just…"

Tabitha looked around, It had been a few moments since anyone had stood up. She sighed. She wasn't sure what she was going to say, but she owed both of them a lot and she needed to say something. As she stood, Amara touched her arm and smiled at her. That gave her all the courage she needed.

"Some interesting things happened when Day and Rosie got here," she said as she looked down at the urn. "And they definitely pushed our limits, though I think Day was better at that, or more obvious. Kitty's right, he understood people and I don't think it was just because of his power. He genuinely cared. …Without his help I know I wouldn't have changed for the better, and I think that's true of all of us. I hope we never forget him."

She sat back down, looking over at Rosie and Masque, who looked back at her. Rosie looked touched and smiled as tears kept streaming down her cheeks. Tabby looked at Amara, and they both smiled back.

More time passed in silence, and after a while, everyone assumed the talking was done. Quietly and without any words at all, Day and Rosaline's parents stood together and walked towards the pedestal, picking up the urn and turning around to look at everyone again. At first they didn't say anything; there were no words that could express their pain. Then Minna smiled, a beautiful sight through her tears, and whispered, "…Thank you."

No one responded in words or said anything else as they walked back between the seats and into the mansion. Rosaline got up to follow them, taking Masque with her, and soon everyone was going back inside. As they walked away, the vines twisting around the pedestal receded into the ground, their shadows forming weaving patterns in the light of the setting sun.

…..

…..

Xavier told the students that night that Rosaline was going back home, and none of them were really sure what to do. Most didn't understand why, but those who knew her best did, and they all wished she would stay. No one asked her to, though, and she was glad of that.

While everyone was at school Rosie and her parents packed up her stuff in their car. As they worked, she tried not to think about what she was leaving behind, or what would happen to Masque. She hadn't seen her since breakfast, and knowing she was hurt, she thought she should have told her she was leaving before Xavier did. They managed to get all of Rosie's things, her parents' luggage, and even all of Day's stuff into the car without even needing to use the back seat. For once she thanked the gods that they had a station wagon, and that they had packed light when they came here.

It was late afternoon when they finished, so they decided to stay for dinner before they left. It was a very long drive ahead of them, they would probably stop at a motel for the night somewhere, but she thought her father might try and drive without stopping at all. She wasn't sure, they hadn't talked much. Since all the work they had to do was done now, Rosie went back into the mansion to look for her girlfriend. She couldn't find her, not anywhere on the grounds. When she told her parents she was going to go look for her in the city, they forbid it, and she felt she couldn't be angrier at them.

It was about that time that her teammates came back from school. She thought about hiding in her room, but instead chose the library over its depressing emptiness, even though people could easily find her there. Whenever anyone did, it was awkward. No one seemed to know what to do or say to her.

She was a good way into a collection of works by Oscar Wilde when the door opened and Tabitha poked her head inside.

"Oh there you are!" she exclaimed, pushing the door open and walking in, followed by Amara. "You know, when you disappear, you really disappear."

She chuckled. "It's not my fault you never think to come in here."

"I should probably take offense to that…" she grinned and sat down in a wide chair near her. Amara squeezed in beside her. They looked at each other, then at her, which made her feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Um, well, have any of you seen Madison anywhere?" she asked, trying to pull a conversation out of the silence.

"Madison?" Amara repeated, confused.

"Oh, Masque," Tabby said. "Nope. Is she missing?"

Rosaline looked at the floor. "Yeah."

Amara glanced at Tabby, who shrugged. "I'm sure she'll be back soon. She probably just has a lot to think over."

She nodded, lost in her own thoughts.

After a moment Amara nudged her girlfriend, who looked at her confusedly, then her features cleared as if she remembered something.

"Right, um, Rosie?"

"Yeah?"

She sat forward. "We actually came here to thank you."

She looked up. "For what?"

"Well," the princess started, "if you and Tabitha hadn't…um, almost gotten involved, it probably would have taken a lot more time for us to realize how we felt about it other or do anything about it. We might never have, though I don't really believe that." She smiled. "And you've shown us a lot of strength by being out yourself. We aren't, yet, but seeing you so open about yourself is inspiring."

"And we probably wouldn't've known what to do if you hadn't come along," Tabby added. "There's not that many out gay people here, if you haven't noticed. Well, except maybe Pietro, but that's not official. You'd still have to be blind to miss his beacon of gayness though."

Rosie stifled a laugh. "That sounds kinda dirty…"

"…You're right. Let's not talk about Pietro's beacon."

"I want to thank you guys too," she said, slowly sitting up. "You've also done a lot for me just by supporting me. I know it was really awkward when we met and all that, but you're two of the best friends I could have asked for." She bit her lip, tears coming to her eyes. "I'll miss you…"

"We'll miss you too," Amara replied sadly. "But we understand."

"Do you think you'll ever come back?" Tabby asked.

"I hope so. We'll see where life takes me."

Suddenly there was a knock at the door, and they turned to see Rosaline's mother standing there, looking hesitant. "I don't mean to interrupt," she said, "but apparently dinner is almost ready."

Rosaline nodded, still angry at her but far less than before. "We'll be right there…have you seen Madison?"

"No dear. I'm sorry."

She made a non-committal noise, then turned her head, waiting to hear her mother leave. Once she had, she looked again at her friends, standing up.

Tabby reached first to hug her, and she hugged her back.

"You know, we don't have to say goodbye now," she noted. "We still have to eat."

"I know. But hugs are good."

Laughing, Amara hugged her too. They stood like that for a moment, then moved apart.

"We're always here if you need us," Amara told her, Tabby nodding in consent at her side.

Rosaline, trying not to regret her decision, nodded back. "…Thank you."

…..

Not too far away from the mansion, at a quiet spot near the lake, Masque lay on her back watching the sky through the pattern of leaves above her head. She didn't know what time it was, and she tried not to let it worry her.

Maybe Rosie wouldn't leave if she wasn't there to say goodbye, she had thought at first. She knew now that wouldn't be the case, but the thought still kept her there. She was hurt that Rosaline didn't tell her herself that she was leaving, though she couldn't blame her for it and should have expected it in the first place. Had she really expected that Rosaline would stay in Bayville after all that had happened, even if she moved there for her? If she had, she knew it was naïve of her.

She thought she had freed herself of expecting people to care or stick around because of her. It had been true in the past, she thought, or maybe she had just never let herself connect to anyone. Everything had changed since she came here. Day had brought her here, and led her to Rosaline, which she knew was the real reason she had come. She certainly hadn't been able to save him. He had never touched her with his power, but she thought then that maybe he had in a way, unlocking the doors in her heart she had kept closed. He was good at that.

She sat up, looking across the lake at the sun reflected on the water. It was probably late now, they'd be finishing dinner, and she couldn't hope that Rosie and her family would stay long after that. Regardless of what happened or how she felt, she needed to get back there to see her off. She could never abandon her like that.

Besides, she knew what she had to do. Even if she thought it wouldn't work.

…..

Dinner passed, and shortly after the students and faculty of Xavier's school filed outside to see one of their own leave. Alden Jackson made sure everything was packed up and set in the car, and then he and his wife went to thank Xavier and the others once more. Rosaline went to her friends first.

She hugged Tabby and Amara again, saying goodbye for real this time, then hugged Kitty and Rogue, who wished her luck.

"You're, like, gonna come back right?" Kitty asked.

She smiled sadly. "Maybe. I hope so." She looked around then, and sighed unhappily, visibly fighting tears.

Rogue said nothing. She knew who was missing, and knew that they would make no difference.

She said goodbye to everyone else in turn, wishing them well as they did her, until finally she came to Jubilee. She had expected the girl to be cold to her and pass her by, but instead Jubilee stepped up, and hesitantly reached out to hug her too. She just stood there in shock.

"…I'm sorry," Jubilee said, drawing back. "I was really horrible to you and I know that now. I'm sorry I was such an idiot. I hope you'll forgive me."

Rosie stared at her, stunned, then broke into a smile. "Of course I do. I'm just glad you changed."

She smiled back. "Me too."

She turned then to go to her teachers. Storm and Beast embraced her carefully, telling her she was always welcome, and she shook hands with a silent Wolverine. Lastly, she took Xavier's hand. He squeezed it.

"Thank you," she said. "For everything."

He nodded, smiling up at her. "Of course. Take care of yourself, Rosaline."

She smiled back, nodded, then turned around to walk to her parents. Stopping, she looked around. Masque still wasn't there. She tried not to cry as she went on, preparing finally to leave.

Then, just as they were about to, the sound of footsteps pounding down the steps and towards the car made her stop again. She looked back with hope she felt she shouldn't have and saw Masque hurrying towards her, coat and backpack in hand.

"Madison!" she called, rushing to meet her in relief. Her father scowled, to which her mother patted his arm, urging him to relax.

Rosaline threw her arms around Masque's neck and held her tight, ignoring the pain in her side and crying freely now. "I thought you weren't going to come."

_"I'm here,"_ she said and kissed her on the forehead. _"Rosie, I need to ask you something."_

"What is it?"

The girl glanced over at her parents, then bolstered her strength and looked down at her girlfriend again. _"…Take me with you."_

Rosaline stared at her in surprise, almost speechless. "What?"

_"I know your parents probably won't like this, but I have to try. I'm not going to leave you when I know we need each other most. I belong where you are."_ Trying not to look desperate, she locked eyes with her. _"…Will you let me come with you?"_

Bewildered, Rosie pulled Masque close and kissed her, then took her hand. "Come on."

As they passed Xavier, Masque turned to look at him, and he smiled understandingly. Somehow, she thought, he had probably expected this.

Rosie led her girlfriend up to her parents, knowing full well that they wouldn't approve, and for once in her life not caring. "Mom, Dad," she said, "I want Madison to come with us."

Her father looked sternly at her.

"Honey," her mother started.

"No Mom, I'm not going to leave her here," she interrupted. "I need her now. I know you don't like this but this is really important to me. Please say she can come with us."

Her parents looked at each other. Her father was definitely not happy with this, though her mother looked more understanding, even if she wasn't pleased. They said nothing to each other, but came to a silent agreement.

Alden looked Masque up and down, having not really liked her from the start, and definitely not liking her now. However, in an odd way he understood that if his daughter was forced to leave her behind, he would lose her. And he had already lost enough children.

Her mother smiled, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "All right, dear. We'll talk about this more when we get home."

She grinned and hugged them both, taking Masque's hand again quickly and climbing into the car. She looked back as they started to drive away and waved to the people she left behind, missing them already.

Tabby and Amara waved back, standing there and watching until the car was out of sight. They looked at each other, not noticing that most of the others had already gone inside.

"You know what?" Tabby asked.

"What?" Amara replied.

She sighed, reaching up to touch her face gently. "…I love you."

Amara blushed, the corners of her mouth turning up unprompted. "I love you too, Tabitha."

They drew together and kissed, then headed back inside hand in hand.

"Come on," Tabby said, grinning wickedly. "Let's go stir up some more trouble."

………….

Author's Note:

Ta da! The unofficial end (don't worry; the Epilogue is on its way). I know this was uber-long but I hope you think it's worth it. I don't think I realized how much material I had to cover in this chapter.

I really hope all of you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I apologize again for the lapse in finishing it, but here it is now. I couldn't leave the story undone. There's still much more of it, which you will get a piece of soon. I probably should have saved all this mushy stuff for the Epilogue's Author note, but here it is anyway.

Also, the idea for the design for Day's urn came from York Products West dot com (for some reason it work let me put the html address in here). In the urn section, look for the "Athens Pewter/Blue" Urn. I obviously modified it a bit but I felt I needed to give them credit. They have some really beautiful stuff.

And that's it. Stay tuned for the real ending!

…..

Tyriel – Ta da! Here's the rest, which I hope you also liked. I actually didn't plan for Logan to be away and didn't even think of him being able to find Rosie, but we'll pretend I did so I look smart ; And I'm glad you liked Scaleface, I love her, and as scary as the thought of her at the wheel of a car is, I think I'd be more afraid of Spyke's driving. Glad you liked the evil angsty scene of death too, I suck at writing fight scenes and at least I got this one right. Anyway, I hope you look forward to the next and last.

MentalTsunami – Man, I'm sorry. I'm really glad you liked him though and thank you for not yelling at me for killing him off hands you a Day plushie to make you feel better I'm glad you like the story so much, its readers like you who keep it going. And don't worry, there's still a bit more to go.

BigLittleKid – Yeah, sorry for the shock factor. I promise it was planned for a while and not randomly put there. I gave a few little clues, like the black dog in the cemetery, but I didn't want to make it look obvious. I guess it worked. Thank you for liking it anyway

IrishTomboy06 – Ta da! Sorry to leave it at a cliffhanger and not update soon enough. I hope this was good enough to make you forgive me. And I promise you that even though it's a sudden twist, this does have a happy ending. Just wait and see.

Freakyicefairy – Oh don't apologize for the long review, I like long reviews. It gets you a long response. Thank you for reading the story again even after I took so long to update, and don't worry about holding me to the happy ending, its coming up soon. Thank you also for loving my OC's so much, and for thinking I kept everyone else in character. As for Jubilee, I read a fic once where she was an uberbitch, and since she's not really developed in XME I took from that. As you can see, however, she redeems herself. Sorry you don't think she matched up. Also, I didn't really intend in the beginning to stray from the Tabby/Amara goodness, but I got so involved with my OC's that they came to the forefront before I could control it. I hope it didn't seem awkward that way; again, I tried to end a bit with Tabby and Amara. As for Rogue and Remy, they are my favorite straight couple of all of X-men, so I threw bits about them in there for my own enjoyment. Perhaps I'll do more on them some other time. I'm also glad you liked the fact that Masque avenged Day, I was worried that would come off badly somehow, and even though I had trouble with the repercussions I think I worked it out well in the story. I think that's it, so stay tuned for the promised happy ending. I promise again that it will all be okay.


	15. Epilogue They Change

**Triangle**

By Lady Comet

Disclaimer: I own only my own brainchildren. Everything else I'm just borrowing and bending to my will

* * *

Epilogue – They Change

* * *

_Five Years Later….._

The Bayville train station was relatively empty for a Saturday. Only a few people milled about in crowds, waiting to board the next train, or waiting for someone to get off it. It usually got more crowded than this on weekend afternoons, especially in summer. _But maybe,_ she thought as she stood up, _it was for the best. _They gathered up their bags and hurried off.

First off was a very plump, short woman. Her blonde hair was still curled, like it used to be, but was now shoulder-length, un-dyed, and bound into pigtails. She wore a low-cut short-sleeved white top with green skirts, one darker than the other, and sandals. Her purple jeweled pendant still hung around her neck. She was much different from the girl who had left this city five years ago, having grown in many ways, and looking all the more beautiful for it. Safe on the platform, she set her bags and her cloak down beside her, turning to watch as another woman followed.

This one was taller and thinner than the first, with short dark brown hair that was buzzed from her earlobes down and her pale skin was covered in scars. She didn't hide them with layers of fabric anymore; instead she wore a tight black tank top with thin straps and a pair of baggy dark blue jeans, which overlapped a thick pair of boots. There were a few piercings in each ear and one in her left nostril. She carried only one suitcase, though it was much bigger than her old backpack, and had her jacket draped over her shoulders. Smiling, she stepped down and joined the other woman, hand placed possessively on her back, and they both turned and waited for what was bound to come.

There was a great crash, and a few impressive-looking pieces of luggage fell out of the train. A very loud curse from inside followed and soon a figure emerged, struggling with even more of it. The person was taller than both girls, with light brown skin and striking blue hair pulled up in a bun on either side of their head, which also bore a face that was very well made-up. They wore a yellow corset-like top over a very flat chest and slim but not stick-like body, as well as tight blue jeans which had rhinestones sewed onto the cuffs. The lack of cleavage and the way the jeans fit over the crotchal area denoted this figure as male, though by stereotypical assumptions he didn't seem like one.

"Aw fuck!" he shouted, his voice also rather androgynous. "I think I broke my heel!"

_"…Your actual heel, or the shoe?"_ Madison asked, trying very hard not to laugh.

He glared at her. "The shoe."

Rosaline giggled and went over to help him. "You probably shouldn't have worn those today then," she noted, "and besides, nothing's broken."

"Thank god," he said, grinning.

_"You probably shouldn't have brought so many clothes either,"_ Madison added, also moving to help him up. _"You know, we're going to have more stuff shipped here once we find a place."_

"I know!" he whined, "But I need my costumes _now_! You never know when a show opportunity might drop into my lap."

"Adryen," Rosaline replied, "we don't really want to think about anything that drops into your lap."

He clicked his tongue at her. "Silly lesbian."

"Weird-ass queen."

They grinned at each other, and Madison shook her head. Even if things were better than they ever had been, sometimes life was still strange.

Suddenly all three of them became aware that everyone else on the platform was staring at them, either in shock or annoyance. Adryen blew a kiss at them, and Rosaline blushed, ushering him and her girlfriend into the building and out through the front doors. Outside, they looked around for a specific car, which Rosaline had described to them in hopes they could help her find it. In the end she found it herself, and pointed it out. Excitedly, she led them over to it, just as a tall dark-skinned woman stepped out to greet them.

"Welcome back."

* * *

On the other side of the city, in the massive back yard of a massive mansion, something even more chaotic was going on. At least ten teenagers were running around shooting at each other with their powers, in a friendly way of course, completely ignoring the instructions and shouts of their teachers. They laughed as they streaked past them, giving both women even more of a headache.

One was muscular and short, just about five feet tall, with straight brown hair that had bangs layered down to her ears. Her eyebrows were furrowed over her green eyes, the rest of her sharp features set deep in a frown, which luckily did not knock her Djarum black clove cigarette out of her mouth. Her arms were crossed over a dark grey t-shirt which looked like the sleeves had been torn off, and she wore loose brown pants under that which looked like they also had seen some wear and tear. She wore little jewelry, only a few rings, and no piercings to speak of.

The other was very, very different. She was a bit taller and had short yellow-blonde hair cut close to her scalp, with bright blue eyes and features set in an amused grin. Piercings lined her ears and one of her eyebrows and she too wore rings, a gold one standing out on her left ring finger. She wore a revealing magenta tube top over short, tight shorts, purple flip-flops on her feet.

The two of them looked at each other, then at their not-so-assembled students. It was going to be a long day.

"I'm getting a beer," Tabitha said, already starting back toward the mansion. "Do you want one?"

Sarah Howlett, also known as X23, shook her head. "Nope. Take your time. But I can't promise the kids'll be alive when you get back."

She smiled, unsure of whether the girl was serious or not, and headed inside. The mansion was even bigger now; two larger wings had been added on either side of the main building with even more floors added to the levels underneath, the backyard had an even bigger garden and several volleyball/basketball/tennis/whatever courts, as well as the huge area of grass where a lot of outdoor training still took place, not mention lots of other changes inside. As much as things had to grow to take on the school's new responsibilities, it almost seemed too huge.

After getting her beer from the kitchen, popping it open and taking a swig as she walked back, she heard familiar voices down the hall and stopped. She backtracked to go down there and found her wife talking to Storm, both of them looking very excited.

Amara had changed a lot in the last few years, but didn't look very different. She had cut her hair to just about shoulder length and it was thicker now, and that was really the only thing that had changed. She wore a red top that kind of draped over her shoulders and khaki Capri's, with a couple bracelets on her wrists and a gold ring on her left hand that matched Tabitha's.

Storm also hadn't changed much in her appearance. Her hair was also a bit shorter, though not much, and slightly curled. She still dressed elegantly and today wore a thin purple summer dress that reached to her knees.

They turned as she approached, their conversation ending. Amara rushed forward to kiss Tabitha, grabbing her hands and shaking them excitedly.

"Love, Ororo was just telling me that we have some new guests!" she exclaimed.

She quirked an eyebrow, glancing over at Storm, who just smiled at her. "….Okay, so who are they?"

Instead of answering, the princess pulled her in the direction of the Professor's office, waving goodbye to Storm as they rushed past her. "Come on, let's go find them!"

She thought she should interject and tell her that she was supposed to be leading a training session right now, but remembering how much she didn't want to do that, she kept her mouth shut. Besides, whatever had gotten her wife this excited was probably very important.

They got there before she even had a chance to ask again who the guests were, and before they could knock on the door, it opened on its own. Xavier rolled out, still in conversation with whoever was following him.

"Your things are…oh, hello Amara, Tabitha." He smiled, and moved out further.

"Tabitha?" a voice sounded, and the blonde gasped as a familiar face stepped out of the room.

Tabby stared in shock at the two women in front of her who were so different from the girls she used to know. Masque had done a complete 180, and even though society wouldn't say so, Rosie was even more beautiful than she was at sixteen. A moment passed, then Rosaline let out an excited shriek, and all four women embraced. Adryen, having stepped out behind them unnoticed, took to looking at his nails and tried not to look too curious as to who the other women were.

"Holy shit," Tabitha repeated for the fifteenth time. "When did you guys get here?"

"A little while ago," Rosie answered. "Wow, you guys. You look great."

"You too," Amara said. "And so different."

_"A lot has changed,"_ Madison replied. _"More than we can probably discuss in the middle of a hallway."_

"Right," said Tabby, and she looked over at the Professor. "Can we kidnap them from you for a while?"

"Of course," he answered, turning back to the new arrivals. "Your things will have been brought up to your rooms, which are in the teachers' wing. I assume you can ask Amara and Tabitha to show you there later."

"Sure," they replied in unison.

He nodded, smiling, and went down the hallway in Storm's direction.

Alone, Madison and Rosie remembered to introduce Adryen, then they all went outside to talk, picking a part of the yard that was near the garden (and shielded from X23's view). Before they could say much, Adryen found a random Frisbee and tried to pull them all into a game. Sighing, Madison indulged him, and Amara joined them. That left Rosaline and Tabitha to actually catch up.

"Goddess, things are so different here," Rosie said, looking around at the grounds. "You'd think more than five years have passed."

"It's kinda like that, isn't it?" Tabby replied. "Well, a lot of things had to change quickly over the last couple years."

She looked over at her curiously. "Why's that?"

The blonde bombshell sighed. "As you probably know, anti-mutant stuff has been on the rise since humanity found out about us, and its especially bad here. I have no idea why this city is some kind of mutant Mecca. Anyway, Xavier decided it would be best to make this school a real school, not just a training place where the students still have to attend public high school. I know, it sounds like self-enforced segregation, but he doesn't want to put anyone else in danger. So everyone from our school years has been scrambling to learn things to teach, get degrees, all that shit. And since it's an all-mutant school now that covers the normal stuff and mutant power control, or whatever you want to call it, the student body is getting bigger. There's gotta be at least thirty new recruits this year."

"Wow," she gasped.

She smirked. "Yeah. It's a pain in the ass."

"So do you teach here?"

"Uh, sorta. You know I'm not the scholarly type, I didn't even finish high school, remember? But Xavier needed people to help train the new recruits to control their powers, so I'm doing that."

She laughed. "I feel sorry for those kids."

"Hey!"

Grinning, Rosaline shook her head. "Sorry Tabitha."

"No big," she grinned back. "Let's see, who else is doing what… Jean and Scott are teaching here, of course, and are active members of the X-men, as are Kitty and Kurt, and this guy named Colossus that Kitty's dating right now. He just trains the recruits though, like me. Rogue and Remy are teaching here too. A lot's happened with them. Hmmm….oh, Storm's still around, of course, teaching classes and all. So is Bobby, he's a full-fledged X-man now, and boy will he tell you about it. Logan went off in search of Sabretooth a while ago and hasn't come back yet, so X23's taking his place. I don't think you ever met her."

She shook her head.

"Hoo boy. We'll save that for later. Anyway, where was I? Oh right, Beast's still here too, teaching science and all. I think that covers the "official" X-men team. The rest of us just hang out and teach here. Jubilee's here too, and Ray, oh and this girl Danielle who Kitty used to know before you got here."

"Wow, a lot of teachers."

"Yeah. But every day the classes keep growing, so we're gonna need them. And we really get a new bunch every year."

She nodded, trying not to look overwhelmed already. "So anyway, what about you and Amara?"

Tabby smiled widely, blushing. "We got married a couple years ago."

"Congratulations!" She leaned over to hug her.

She hugged her back. "Thanks. I'm not really the religious type but we had a traditional Roman ceremony, sort of, it was modified and stuff to suit the fact that we're both women. It was so beautiful though." She stared off into space for a moment, remembering, and then continued. "Right after that we went to Nova Roma, you know, where Amara's from, to visit her father and take care of the matter of her inheritance."

"Inheritance?"

"She's the only daughter of the king of Nova Roma, and they reeeeeaally like to keep it in the family, so just picking someone else was out of the question. He actually wanted her to marry one of her cousins. But in the end Amara just abdicated the throne to said cousin and we came back here, starting work. She teaches a World Cultures class."

"Cool. Say, how is everyone getting through college fast enough to have begun work so soon?"

"Well, you'd be surprised how lenient Xavier is about credentials."

She laughed. "Well, at least we know he's wise enough to still pick good teachers."

"Yup. We'd better not lose faith in him."

She nodded. "What happened to Wanda?"

She frowned. "Oh, right. Wanda and the rest of the Brotherhood work for S.H.E.I.L.D. now."

"What's shield?"

"It's a government agency, the Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate, which deals with rogue mutants and the like. You know the program that gave Logan his claws? They were involved in that, and they've been using mutants as experiments for the idea of using super-powered beings in combat. You know, for the military."

Rosie's face dropped. "Shit…"

"Yeah. So now the Brotherhood is called the Freedom Force, which is bullshit, because they capture so-called 'dangerous and rogue mutants' and give them to the government. They've even come after us a few times."

"That's terrible."

"I know. I don't know why they're doing it. Not that I can judge them, I'm not quite the girl scout type either, but for fuck's sake, the government's trying to instate a Mutant Registration Act and they're working for them! It doesn't make sense."

Rosie nodded, staring silently at the ground.

"So anyway," Tabby said, forcing herself to calm down, "why are you back? "Not that I'm complaining, of course."

"Of course," she replied. "Xavier called us and offered us jobs about three months ago, actually, but we didn't decide to take him up on the offer until now."

"Ah. So, two questions: one, what happened to you after you left? And two, what's up with your guy friend there?"

Rosie smiled. "All of that can actually be answered in one. After we all got back to Salem and buried Day's ashes, Madison and I ran away to New York City."

"Seriously?" she gawked.

"Seriously. I needed to get away from here because I might not have moved on, and I needed to get away from there even more. So we ran off to New York, and it was tough at first, but we got jobs and lived a normal life for a while, and we focused on our problems and helped each other work through our issues. We met Adryen there, at a gay bar, and he sorta adopted us as his token lesbians."

"Is he a mutant?"

"Well…sort of. His blue hair is natural, but that's it."

"…That's kinda lame."

"Yeah. But the world would be a scary place if he had even greater powers."

She smirked. "I can see that. So anyway…"

"Right. Anyway, we decided to leave New York about a year ago. Adryen came with us because, for some reason or another, he had to flee the gay scene there. He's kinda vague about it, but I think he had a scandalous affair or something. That's really beside the point. So yeah, we went back to Salem to visit my parents so I could fix things up with them, and now everything's great and they totally accept me and Madison and everything. We stayed there until three months ago, when the Professor called us, and we weren't sure what we wanted to do. We had just gotten settled, you know? But he said he needed a grounds person slash gardener, which I obviously would love to do, and he offered Madison a teaching position here if she could get through some college, which he also offered to help pay for since we don't have a lot of money. It's really generous of him. So we thought about it and finally a few weeks ago decided to come back. We're not going to stay in the mansion though, we want to get an apartment in the city nearby so we can have more privacy, but we won't be far away. But we will be living here until we find one. Adryen came with us this time because we told him Bayville doesn't have much of a gay scene, and he wants to open up a bar where he can hold drag shows."

"Drag shows?"

"He's a drag queen," Rosaline explained. She sat back a little and stared at the group still playing Frisbee. Masque threw it at Adryen, hard, and as it sailed over his head and he jumped for it, he almost fell over. As usual, he started bitching about his shoes, and Amara busted up laughing. "I'm glad he came with us. He's the only real friend we've made since we left."

Tabby nodded, turning to watch the group as well. "Yeah, it seems like he'll really stir things up around here."

"And I bet that'll please you," Rosie smirked.

"Of course! You know I love trouble."

"If I remember anything about you, Tabitha, it's that."

She chuckled, turning to look at her again. "You know, you're taking a risk by coming back here again."

"Am I?"

"Yeah. It sounds like you were happy in Salem and your life was pretty peaceful, I think. Coming back will risk all that. Even though this is a safe place for us, you know things are still pretty bad and getting worse. You'll probably face more prejudice and ridicule here than in Salem."

"Oooh, look at you using big words."

"Oh shut up! I'm trying to be all concerned about you."

She smiled apologetically, and nodded her head slightly. "I know. But Tabby, I live that risk every day, no matter where I am. And I don't need to escape that to be happy…not anymore."

She smiled back. "Glad to hear it. And you know, you're right. We should all remember that."

Suddenly someone called out to them, and the turned to see Adryen waving rather animatedly in their direction.

"Hey, ya bitches!" he shouted. "Are you gonna sit there all day like losers or come play with us? I need someone to beat Maddy's ass for hitting me in the head with a Frisbee!!"

"Why can't you do it yourself?" Rosaline shouted back at him.

"Becaaaauuuuuuuse," he shouted, "I might break one of my nails on her hard head!"

_"Hey!"_ Madison yelled at him, though she obviously wasn't insulted.

Rosie laughed and looked at Tabitha, who grinned and nodded. They got up and ran to join the game.

* * *

Later, as everyone was finishing dinner, Rosaline went back up to her room alone. All her and Madison's stuff had been brought up just as Xavier said, and absentmindedly, she began to unpack. As she did, she hummed a familiar song from a very eventful night so many years ago, a song that didn't make her dance like she used to but made her remember, which was even better.

She hung up their clothes in the closet and took out whatever books they had brought with them, movies, CD's, and the like, and arranged them on the desk and dresser. There was a ledge on the window where she put a candle and a Goddess figurine, and a framed picture of her parents. Her jewelry box also went on the dresser, and she hung various other things on the walls, dream catchers and pentacles and small prints of art she and Madison both liked. More personal things went in both nightstands on either side of the bed, which was luckily big enough for both of them, and she put the rest of her girlfriend's things there, not sure where she'd want them to go.

Almost an hour passed and she was almost done when she reached into one of the bags and pulled out a flat rectangular thing wrapped in black fabric. She stopped, looking around the room, and headed toward a place on the wall where a tack was pressed just in the right spot. As she walked toward it, she slowly unwrapped the object in her hands, held in on either side, and lifted it to its proper place there. Once she was sure it looked even, she stepped back, smiling.

Day smiled back at her, framed in space just the way she remembered him, immortal in that image and in her memory.

"…Welcome home."

* * *

**Author's note: **

And that's really it. Damn. This was fun to write, probably more fun than a lot of the rest of the story since I got to play around with the future, but I don't think it's really hit me yet that it's over. This story has been more important to me than I like to admit.

I hope everyone enjoyed Adryen; he is one of my favorites now. If I had thought of him before I began this story he would have been in it from the beginning. He's also muchly inspired by a friend of mine, who is awesome, and gave him his drag name (which is "Shayda Bloo"). I also hope I didn't overdo it with the summaries of what happened in the story gap, there was a lot of stuff I wanted to put in there concerning the canon characters, and believe it or not I did leave some out (like mentions of certain characters as the new students and what happened to some characters already in the story). Describing everyone's future selves was a shitload of fun though; especially X23 (blame my girlfriend for the specific clove cigarette reference). Her actual name was inspired by my good friend **Rurouni Tyriel**, please go read his stories!! Hopefully all the mention of what happened will make you think of what may happen next and thus make you hope I will write more…Mwahahaha.

As such, I may add some more in the future about what happens next, or some scenes from the five years missing, but I don't want to commit to that. Let's just say it's really over. If anything else comes of it, it'll be a very unexpected surprise. If you really want to know the rest of what I had in mind for everyone, please e-mail me at and I'll tell you that way. Also, if you'd like to see the massive amount of artwork I've done for this story, e-mail me and I will send that to you. I probably really should have put up a website for this fic. Oh well.

Anyway, I hope you all had as much fun reading this as I did writing it. Please keep looking out for me in the future, I'll be around, and remember the wonder that is X-men Evolution long after it's gone. Thank you!!

Lady Comet

* * *

Tyriel – Glad you liked! It's been a long time since I lost someone close to me, so it was hard to try and put myself in the characters' shoes, so I'm really glad I did it well. I bet it could have easily seemed reeeeeally fake. Anyway, glad you liked the introduction of Rosie and Day's parents; they were fun to create even though I only got to use them in one chapter. I need to draw them. And I'm thrilled that I scared you with the scene with the scissors, I thought of that last minute and threw it in there hoping it would work does the that-was-a-stroke-of-genius dance And I know you still don't buy Pietro being gay, and you're more than entitled to your opinion, but I shall point out this fact – gay men _always_ attract women (well maybe not always, but you should know of the prevalence of fag hags), so him having four dates is even more proof. Ha. I also know you're going to HATE my version of X23 with a burning fiery passion of death, but that's how she is in my mind ; Hey, I gave you credit for her name, so maybe that will earn me brownie points. Anyway, much yay for Jubilee wising up too, I really do like her and couldn't keep her as an uberbitch forever. I still want her and Bobby to have little kick-ass babies. And I hope this epilogue lived up to the story as a whole. Thank you so much for sticking with it and reading it to the end hugs

BigLittleKid – Thank you! I'm glad you liked ending part 1, and I hope you liked ending part 2 even more. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing always! It really means a lot to me.

(and I apologize to anyone who reviews the last chapter after this one is posted; I promise I'll reply to your reviews some other way)

**Thank you everyone!!**


	16. Extras

Triangle

Triangle Extras!

(yes folks, its like a DVD…only on paper)

**Note:** I have of course taken a LOT of liberties with what happens to the characters, as happens in every incarnation of the X-men. Please look elsewhere if you don't like what I do.

…..

Uncovered business before the end of the story

Some things that happened in the years between the final chapter and the epilogue…

- After Apocalypse's defeat, Pyro joined the Brotherhood, while Gambit and Colossus joined the X-men. In theory, Mastermind was the only one to remain loyal to Magneto, but vanished soon after his return. Sabretooth went off on his own, which prompted Wolverine to leave the mansion in order to settle things with him.

- Kitty became involved with Colossus soon afterward, causing the end of her relationship with Lance.

- Without leadership, the Brotherhood almost disbanded. Before this could happen SHIELD stepped in and offered them a job hunting down rogue mutants, which they gladly accepted. They moved away from Bayville to be closer to their headquarters and were renamed the Freedom Force.

- Needing to rest after Apocalypse's possession of him, somehow weakened by it more than the others were, Magneto came to the mansion in hope that Xavier would help him. Due to their past friendship Xavier allowed him to stay, making sure that everyone kept an eye on him though still hoping that he could change. In this time Magneto healed to his best ability then left, immediately resuming his own cause.

- About a month after Wolverine left, X23 came to the mansion in his place, saying he had sent her there to stand in for him. She took the name Sarah Howlett, but kept the codename X23 for lack of another idea. (Note – Though I have recently discovered her name was Laura in the current comicverse, I took her name from the fanfic of a friend of mine, Rurouni Tyriel. Naming her Sarah is a nod to the absence of the character Marrow in XME, which I especially lament. Howlett comes from Wolverine's past, though I don't exactly remember where.)

- After seeing Tabitha and Amara come out to a positive reaction, Ray came out as bisexual. It was a little harder for his male classmates to accept that, as there is a tendency for even gay-friendly males to uncomfortable with gay or bi men, but eventually everything turned out all right.

- The country of Genosha drew the mansion's attention, posing as a mutant-friendly nation. Upon going to check it out, Storm and Beast were trapped in the lie – instead of a mutant-friendly place, the leaders of the country were kidnapping mutants in interest of using their powers as slave labor. After they were out of contact for more than a few days, the X-men were sent in to investigate. They managed to destroy the operation and free the captured mutants, but in the battle, Rogue met up with a mutant named Ms. Marvel. It turned out that she was working for Genosha willingly, though having posed as another slave while the X-men were there. In fighting her Rogue was forced to absorb her powers, and at the moment of contact an explosion in the main battle trapped both of them under a wall. Unable to move, Rogue was forced to hang on too long, absorbing Ms. Marvel's powers permanently. Once the powers were hers she was able to break out of their entrapment, but it was too late – Ms. Marvel was in a permanent coma. Later, it was discovered that Ms. Marvel was only acting on Genosha's side in order to protect her family, most of whom were also mutants. Knowing this and having Ms. Marvel's personality inside her, Rogue almost went insane. Jean stepped in and imprisoned Marvel's personality in the back of Rogue's mind, where it was impossible for it to break free and take over. It is assumed that she can never be completely eradicated, unlike the other personalities Rogue has absorbed. Jean's help in this event lessened Rogue's hatred of her and allowed them to be friends.

- Rogue and Gambit's flirting developed into a real relationship as he helped her cope with the effects of her new powers, despite the fact that they still couldn't touch.

- Tabitha and Amara got married (as described in the epilogue).

- Kitty and Piotr broke up, for unknown reasons. Then, a few weeks later, Piotr came out as gay. For a while Kitty was hurt by this, but eventually they became friends again.

- Xavier decided to make his mansion a real school (as described in the epilogue), which prompted his former students to scramble for degrees in various subjects so they could join the faculty.

- Apocalypse resurfaced, intending this time to use four new horsemen to eradicate both humans and mutants, not just turn humans into mutants as he previously attempted. He created a machine to "evolve" these horsemen to a similar state as him, posing as a scientist with a cure to mutation. Rogue almost decided to take the cure, but was reminded of the importance of her powers in another situation with the Juggernaut, in which she needed to use her powers to save someone's life. Because of this she decided she couldn't do it, regardless of how much easier it would make her life and her relationship with Gambit. Among the others who came for the cure was Angel, still ashamed of his mutation even though he had been doing well. The machine gave him new metal wings and blue skin. After he broke free of Apocalypse's control, his wings became normal again, but the blue skin remained. Under pressure from anti-mutant activism, he came to the mansion to live for a while, still refusing to be an active member of the team. The X-men were able to subdue Apocalypse again in a similar fashion to his initial defeat, though they knew now they would never be completely rid of him. In the process they also had to kill the other three horsemen, two of which were Morlocks, creating animosity between their two groups.

** Some of the New Recruits at the time of the epilogue **

Polaris

Psylocke

Karma

Siryn

Blink

Leech

Dazzler

Longshot

Rictor

Sunfire

** Teachers at the mansion at the time of the epilogue **

Charles Xavier –_various, especially Genetics and literature_

Ororo Monroe/Storm –_Geography, __World History, __Environmental biology_

Hank McCoy/Beast –_Chemistry, __basic Science, __Theater/Drama, __Gym_

Amara Aquilla-Smith/Magma – _World cultures_

Jean Grey – _Physics_

Scott Summers/Cyclops – _American History_

Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat – _Math, Trigonometry, Computer science_

Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler – _Human Biology_

Rogue – _Music, Mutant ethics_

Bobby Drake/Iceman – _Economics_

Piotr Rasputin/Colossus – _Art, Power control_ ( training new recruits how to use their powers)

Remy LeBeau/Gambit – _Gym, Power control_

Sarah Howlett/X23 – _Power control_

Tabitha Smith-Aquilla/Boomer – _Power control, Gender Studies_

Jubilation Lee/Jubilee – _Power control_

Ray Crisp/Berzerker – _Power control_

Danielle Moonstar/Mirage – _Power control_

Future Events Timeline

_One year later…_

- Rosaline, Madison, and Adryen rent a townhouse in the suburbs nearby, eventually buying it.

- Madison goes through a 1-year college program designed specifically for a career in English, then immediately begins teaching at the school.

- Kurt and Amanda get married, after which Rogue and Remy elope, keeping their marriage a secret as not to distract from Kurt and Amanda's.

- Adryen finally buys and opens up his own bar/dance club near the Witch's Tit. He names it the Rainbow Connection.

- Angela Matthews meets Graydon Creed and helps to form Friends of Humanity.

- Edward Kelly is elected Senator.

- Logan returns to the mansion, the situation with Sabretooth still not resolved.

- SHIELD begins to question X23's death, despite Logan's insistence that she did not survive the destruction of Hydra. In attempt to disguise herself she cuts her hair and takes on a new codename – Puma.

_Two years later…_

- The Mutant Registration Act passes, sparking more battles between Freedom Force and the X-men. Magneto reassembles a new team of Acolytes and joins the fray, forcing the X-men to fight both groups. Among the Acolytes are Mastermind, Juggernaut, Exodus, and Amelia Voght.

- In said fight, Jean is kidnapped by Legion (Xavier's son, Lucas/David/Ian), who forms the Hellfire Club. This also begins the Phoenix Saga. Lucas, having stolen the plans of Magneto's machine seen in "The Cauldron," puts her through that process in interest in turning her to his side. Because of this Jean's powers increase to levels unimaginable and eventually she loses control of them, becoming the Phoenix. She obliterates the Hellfire club, letting only a few escape, then tries to destroy everything the X-men stand for, as well as the Freedom Force and the new Acolytes. All teams join together to battle her, but eventually only Xavier can bring her back. He dies doing so.

- For a few months Storm takes over the role of team leader and Headmaster of the school. This allows Scott to be with Jean as she heals.

- After her recovery, Jean and Scott get married and take over running the Institute.

- Kurt and Amanda have a daughter, naming her Sunila, or "Sunny" for short.

- Rogue and Remy's marriage is revealed by accident as Remy calls Kurt and Amanda's baby his niece.

_Three years later…_

- Rosaline and Madison are handfasted (pagan marriage). Adryen moves out of their townhouse and into an apartment built right above his bar.

- As the Institute grows, Jubilee opens another school in Boston, Massachusetts, forming Generation X. Among the teachers she recruits are Banshee (Siryn's father) and Emma Frost, a former member of the Hellfire Club.

- Rogue and Remy have twins (with the help of Leech), one boy and one girl. They name the boy Oliver, and the girl Rebecca.

- A few months later, Mystique returns to Bayville in interest of seeing her grandchildren, knowing of their existence through Destiny's visions. Rogue and Kurt band together to keep her from them, and Rogue tells her they are not her grandchildren as she and Kurt aren't her children at all. Kurt agrees and tells Mystique to leave and never come back, because a mother doesn't do things like she did to them. She resists and is stopped by the X-men, who finally force her out. Before she goes, she warns them that she will return someday, whether they like it or not.

- Freedom Force disbands, eventually being replaced by X-Factor, which no longer functions as a team of mutant hunters. It now operates similarly to the X-men, but is still on SHIELD's payroll. Members are – Havok, Polaris, Wolfsbane, Multiple, and Siryn.

_Four years later…_

- Scott and Jean have a daughter, naming her Rachel.

- The Sentinels are reintroduced by the government under the guise of protecting the populous from "mutant accidents."

- Beast enters politics to try and fight anti-mutant legislation.

- Wanda and Pietro finally break off ties with Magneto and return to Bayville. Pietro and Adryen have a brief tryst, but it doesn't last. Wanda and Kurt become friends over shared parental angst, and she asks him to help her have a child. He talks to Amanda, and they decide to help her, donating his sperm to her. Soon afterward she and Pietro leave. Nine months later, unbeknownst to the X-men, Wanda gives birth to a baby girl and names her Talia Maximoff. She does not tell Kurt about her.

- Rosaline and Masque adopt a baby girl from Japan who manifested her powers very early, abandoned by her parents because they didn't want the trouble she would have brought them. And that starts an entirely different story.

**Thanks to everyone for reading!! Lady Comet**


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